As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2011

Securities Act File No. 333-171578

 

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM N-2

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933  þ
(Check appropriate box or boxes)
Pre-Effective Amendment No. 2  þ
Post-Effective Amendment No.

NEXT INNOVATION CORP.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in charter)

2965 Woodside Road
Woodside, CA 94062

(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including Area Code: (650) 206-2965

Michael T. Moe
Chief Executive Officer
NeXt Innovation Corp.
2965 Woodside Road
Woodside, CA 94062

(Name and address of agent for service)

COPIES TO:

 
Steven B. Boehm
John J. Mahon
Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP
1275 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20004
(202) 383-0100
  Thomas R. Westle
Brad L. Shiffman
Blank Rome LLP
The Chrysler Building
405 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10174
(212) 885-5000

Approximate date of proposed public offering: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

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, other than securities offered in connection with a dividend reinvestment plan, check the following box. o

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

o when declared effective pursuant to section 8(c).

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

   
Title of Securities Being Registered   Proposed Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(1)(2)
  Amount of
Registration Fee(1)(3)
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share   $ 60,375,000     $ 7,009.54  

(1) Estimated pursuant to Rule 457(o) under the Securities Act of 1933 solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee.
(2) Includes shares that may be issued pursuant to the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
(3) A filing fee of $5,805 was previously paid by the company in connection with the registration of $50,000,000 of the company’s common stock in connection with the initial filing of this registration statement on January 7, 2011, and an additional filing fee of $870.75 was previously paid by the company in connection with the registration of an additional $7,500,000 shares of the company’s common stock in connection with the filing of Amendment No. 1 of this registration statement on February 28, 2011.

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.

 

 


 
 

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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 30, 2011

PRELIMINARY PROSPECTUS

[GRAPHIC MISSING]

3,500,000 Shares

NeXt Innovation Corp.

Common Stock



 

We are a newly formed, externally managed non-diversified closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the “1940 Act,” prior to the pricing of this offering. Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio’s total return, principally by seeking capital gains on our equity investments. We intend to invest principally in the equity securities of venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies. We may also invest on an opportunistic basis in select publicly-traded equity securities of rapidly growing companies that otherwise meet our investment criteria. In addition, while we intend to invest primarily in U.S. companies, we may invest on an opportunistic basis in certain non-U.S. companies that otherwise meet out investment criteria, although in no event will the aggregate value of our non-U.S. investments exceed 30% of the aggregate value of our total investment portfolio. We intend to acquire our investments primarily through private secondary market transactions and, to a lesser extent, through transactions executed on public securities exchanges and direct investments in our portfolio companies. Our investment activities will be managed by NeXt Asset Management, LLC. NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC will provide the administrative services necessary for us to operate.

We will seek to deploy capital primarily in the form of equity and equity-related investments, including common stock, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity, and convertible debt securities with a high equity component. We will seek primarily minority equity investments in our portfolio companies.

This is our initial public offering and our shares have no history of public trading.

We currently expect that the initial offering price per share of our common stock will be $15.00. We have applied to have our common stock approved for listing on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “NEXT.” In addition, our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, LLC, and our administrator, NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC, have no prior experience managing and administering a business development company, respectively.

This prospectus contains important information about us that a prospective investor should know before investing in our common stock. Please read this prospectus before investing and keep it for future reference. Upon the completion of this offering, we will file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information about us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the “SEC.” This information will be available free of charge by contacting us by mail at 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062, by telephone at (650) 206-2965 or on our website at http://www.nextinnovationcorp.com. The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains such information. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus.

An investment in our common stock is subject to risks and involves a heightened risk of total loss of investment. Shares of closed-end investment companies, including business development companies, frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. If our shares trade at a discount to our net asset value, it may increase the risk of loss for purchasers in this offering. Assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, purchasers in this offering will experience immediate dilution in net asset value of approximately $1.21 per share. See “Dilution” for more information. In addition, the companies in which we invest are subject to special risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 to read about factors you should consider, including the risk of leverage, before investing in our common stock.

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.

   
  Per Share   Total(1)
Public Offering Price   $          $       
Sales Load (Underwriting Discounts and Commissions)   $     $  
Proceeds to NeXt Innovation Corp. (before expenses)(2)   $     $  

(1) We have granted the underwriters a 30-day option, which we refer to as the overallotment option, to purchase up to an additional 525,000 shares of our common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions (sales load). If the overallotment option is exercised in full, the total public offering price will be $       and the total underwriting discounts and commissions (sales load) will be $       . See “Underwriting.”
(2) We estimate that we will incur approximately $550,000 in offering expenses, or $___ per share, in connection with this offering, after which we expect to have approximately $       in net proceeds, or approximately $0.16 per share. Stockholders will indirectly bear such expenses as investors in NeXt Innovation Corp. The underwriting discounts and commissions (sales load) and the offering expenses will result in immediate dilution to investors in this offering. See “Dilution.”

The underwriters expect to deliver the shares on or about       , 2011.



 

 
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.   Lazard Capital Markets
Joint Bookrunning Managers


 

Maxim Group LLC

Merriman Capital

          National Securities Corporation

                    Northland Capital Markets

Rodman & Renshaw, LLC

   
Aegis Capital Corp.   Anderson & Strudwick   Newbridge Securities Corp.

The date of this prospectus is          , 2011.


 
 

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You should rely on the information contained in this prospectus. We have not, and the underwriters have not, authorized any other person to provide you with different information or to make representations as to matters not stated in this prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are offering to sell, and seeking offers to buy, securities only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus. We will amend this prospectus in the event of any material change to the information contained herein during the distribution period.



 

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  Page
Summary     1  
Fees and Expenses     11  
Risk Factors     13  
Forward-Looking Statements and Projections     27  
Use of Proceeds     28  
Distributions     28  
Capitalization     29  
Dilution     29  
Discussion of the Company’s Expected Operating Plans     30  
Business     34  
Management     41  
Portfolio Management     48  
Investment Advisory Agreement     51  
Administration Agreement     56  
License Agreement     57  
Related Party Transactions and Certain Relationships     58  
Control Persons and Principal Stockholders     60  
Regulation as a Business Development Company     61  
Determination of Net Asset Value     66  
Dividend Reinvestment Plan     68  
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations     69  
Description of Securities     76  
Underwriting     82  
Custodian, Transfer and Distribution Paying Agent and Registrar     85  
Brokerage Allocation and Other Practices     85  
Legal Matters     85  
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm     85  
Available Information     85  
Index to Financial Statements     F-1  

Until         , 2011 (25 days after the date of this prospectus), federal securities laws may require all dealers that effect transactions in our common stock, whether or not participating in this offering, to deliver a prospectus. This is in addition to the dealers’ obligation to deliver a prospectus when acting as underwriters and with respect to their unsold allotments or subscriptions.

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SUMMARY

This summary highlights some of the information in this prospectus. It is not complete and may not contain all of the information that you may want to consider. You should read carefully the more detailed information set forth under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 and the other information included in this prospectus.

Except where the context suggests otherwise, the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “NeXt Innovation” refer to NeXt Innovation Corp. In addition, the terms “NeXt Asset Management” or “investment adviser” refer to NeXt Asset Management, LLC, and “NeXt Innovation Service Company” or the “administrator” refer to NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC.

Unless otherwise noted, the information contained in this prospectus assumes (i) that the underwriters’ overallotment option is not exercised and (ii) an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share.

NeXt Innovation

We are a newly formed, externally managed non-diversified closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act prior to the pricing of this offering. Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio’s total return, principally by seeking capital gains on our equity investments. We intend to invest principally in the equity securities of venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging companies. We may also invest on an opportunistic basis in select publicly-traded equity securities of rapidly growing companies that otherwise meet our investment criteria. In addition, while we intend to invest primarily in U.S. companies, we may invest on an opportunistic basis in certain non-U.S. companies, including those located in emerging markets, that otherwise meet out investment criteria, although in no event will the aggregate value of our non-U.S. investments exceed 30% of the aggregate value of our total investment portfolio. We intend to acquire our investments primarily through private secondary market transactions and, to a lesser extent, through transactions executed on public securities exchanges and direct investments in our portfolio companies. Our investment activities will be managed by NeXt Asset Management. NeXt Innovation Service Company will provide the administrative services necessary for us to operate.

We will seek to deploy capital primarily in the form of equity and equity-related investments, including common stock, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity, and convertible debt securities with a high equity component. We will seek primarily minority equity investments in our portfolio companies. We anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering will be used for the above purposes within six to twelve months, depending on the availability of investment opportunities that are consistent with our investment objectives and market conditions.

We will seek to create a low-turnover, relatively diversified portfolio that we expect will initially include investments in 15 to 30 companies. We expect that total number of portfolio companies in which we are invested will increase as our equity capital base grows subsequent to completion of this offering, including to the extent we conduct follow-on equity offerings. Our investment adviser’s investment decisions will be based on an extensive analysis of each potential portfolio company’s business operations supported by an in-depth understanding of key fundamentals such as growth potential, the quality of recurring revenues and cash flow, variability of costs and the inherent value of a prospective portfolio company’s assets, including proprietary intangible assets and intellectual property. We expect that many of the companies that our investment adviser will evaluate will have financial backing provided by top tier private equity or venture capital funds or other financial or strategic sponsors at the time we make an investment.

About NeXt Asset Management

Our investment activities are managed by NeXt Asset Management, an investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, or the “Advisers Act.” NeXt Asset Management is led by Michael T. Moe, our president, chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors. Mr. Moe co-founded and previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of ThinkEquity Partners, an asset management and investment banking firm focusing on venture capital, entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies. Prior to founding ThinkEquity, Mr. Moe served as Head of Global Growth Research at Merrill

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Lynch and before that served as Head of Growth Research and Strategy at Montgomery Securities. Mr. Moe has written extensively about investing in the emerging growth equity markets and his book, “Finding the Next Starbucks,” has gone through three printings in five languages. Mr. Moe’s book articulates his investment process and philosophy which have been refined over more than two decades in the investment community.

Mr. Moe is assisted by Stephen D. Bard, our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary and Luben Pampoulov, our vice-president, whom we refer to collectively as NeXt Asset Management’s senior investment professionals. Each of Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov is a principal of NeXt Asset Management. We expect to benefit from the proven ability of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and board of advisers (the “Advisory Board”) to identify attractive investment opportunities, conduct diligence on and value prospective investments, negotiate terms, and manage and monitor a diversified portfolio of those investments. See “Portfolio Management — Advisory Board to NeXt Asset Management.” Our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and Advisory Board members have broad investment backgrounds, with prior experience at investment banks, commercial banks, unregistered investment funds and other financial services companies, and have collectively developed a broad network of contacts to provide us with our principal source of investment opportunities.

NeXt Asset Management also intends to leverage Mr. Moe’s relationship with neXtup Research, or “neXtup,” a joint venture arrangement between neXtup Network, LLC, a California-based financial research firm of which Mr. Moe is a member, and Candlestick Advisors Pvt. Ltd., an India-based financial research firm, to access neXtup’s proprietary research and analytical capabilities in the private company space. neXtup presently focuses on developing research and analysis regarding non-public rapidly growing companies similar to those we intend to target for investment. Since its formation in 2010, neXtup has used its proprietary research and valuation processes to evaluate over 30 emerging private companies across the internet media, green technology and education industries. We expect that our investment adviser’s access to the proprietary research developed by neXtup with respect to the types of companies in which we intend to invest will provide NeXt Asset Management with a more in-depth knowledge base with respect to our prospective investments. While we do not expect to enter into a long-term contractual arrangement with neXtup, through Mr. Moe’s relationship with neXtup, our investment adviser will have the ability to access neXtup’s proprietary research on an as-needed basis without limitation, subject to the payment of customary fees by our investment adviser to neXtup for the use of its resources. Any costs associated with accessing neXtup’s research capabilities will be borne by our investment adviser, without reimbursement from us.

We will pay NeXt Asset Management a fee for its services under the Investment Advisory Agreement consisting of two components — a base management fee and an incentive fee. The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of our gross assets, which includes any borrowings for investment purposes. The incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date), commencing on December 31, 2011, and will equal the lesser of (i) 20% of our realized capital gains during such calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and (ii) 20% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.” Although we will not incur debt or use leverage during the first 12 months following completion of this offering, because our management fee is based on our gross assets, including issuances of preferred stock and borrowings for investment purposes, rather than our net assets, there may an incentive for our investment adviser to utilize leverage in the future. We will be required, however, to obtain the approval of our board of directors before we incur any future indebtedness.

Business Strategy

Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio’s total return, principally by seeking capital gains on our equity investments. We have adopted the following business strategies to achieve our investment objective:

Focus on private secondary markets.  In view of the structural changes within the initial public offering, or “IPO” market over the past decade, as well as the increased compliance burden faced by

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public companies in recent years, private secondary markets, such as SecondMarket and SharesPost, have emerged as a viable alternative to the traditional public equity markets. While such private secondary markets do not provide the same levels of liquidity as traditional public markets, they do provide institutional investors such as NeXt Innovation with greater access to equity investments in attractive venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies without the corresponding costs associated with structuring privately negotiated investments. Such markets may also provide a ready avenue to dispose of equity investments in privately-held companies when appropriate, as well as a more reliable means of determining the value of such equity investments.

We intend to utilize such private secondary markets as a principal means to acquire equity investments in privately-held companies that meet our investment criteria and that are attractive candidates for investment. We expect that our primary focus on private secondary market investments will allow us to more quickly invest in attractive portfolio companies that meet our investment criteria as opposed to negotiating direct investments in such portfolio companies. In addition, we expect that investing in portfolio companies that have established trading patterns on such private secondary markets will provide us with a more ready source of liquidity for our investments compared to traditional direct equity investments in private companies.

In addition, as the secondary private markets are generally only available to accredited investors, we expect that we will face less pricing pressure for attractive equity investments than we would if we invested through public securities exchanges. We expect that our access to detailed research on emerging private companies, including through our investment adviser’s relationship with neXtup, will allow us to better evaluate potential investments in such secondary private markets than many of the other participants in those markets. In general, investors that acquire securities through private secondary market transactions have little or no direct access to financial or other information from the private companies in which they invest. While we will also lack direct access to such financial and other information regarding prospective portfolio companies that trade on private secondary markets, we intend to utilize the relationships and contacts of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board members and our board of directors, along with the proprietary research and analytical capabilities of neXtup, to obtain the information necessary for our investment adviser to perform its research and due diligence process on each prospective portfolio company we intend to invest in through a private secondary market transaction. Many accredited investors that lack institutional backing will likely not have access to the same level or depth of information regarding the private companies in which we intend to invest, which we expect will provide us with an advantage in locating potential investments at attractive prices.

Focus on direct equity investments.  Although we intend to primarily utilize private secondary market transactions to acquire our investments, we also intend to invest directly in certain of our portfolio companies from time to time. There is a large, underserved market among venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies for equity capital investments. Many of these companies, particularly within the technology-related sector, lack the necessary cash flows to sustain substantial amounts of debt, and therefore have viewed equity capital as a more attractive long-term financing tool. As a result, growing privately held companies have historically relied upon the IPO market to raise additional equity capital.

However, over the past decade, the IPO markets have experienced substantial structural changes which have made it significantly more challenging for private companies to go public. In addition, the added compliance obligations associated with operating a public company, including those imposed under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, have made IPOs a less attractive alternative for smaller privately held companies. As a result, there are dramatically fewer IPOs today than there were a decade ago, with prospective public companies taking longer to come to market and potential IPO candidates being required to have much larger market capitalizations. For example, from 1991 – 2000, there were 5,330 IPOS in the United States, of which 2,728 were venture-capital backed. From 2001 – 2010, there were 1,280 IPOS, of which 422 were venture-capital backed.

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These factors are conspiring to make it difficult for private companies to gain access to public markets and the corresponding liquidity and equity capital such companies need to continue to grow. As a result, we expect that there is significant untapped demand for equity capital investments among attractive venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies, particularly within the technology-related sector. We intend to serve this market by providing equity capital to venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies that meet our investment criteria, but that lack the size required to sustain a successful IPO. In connection with such direct investments, we will also seek to partner with other private equity and venture capital investors with whom our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, Advisory Board members and our board of directors have established relationships. We expect that these relationships within the private equity and venture capital community will provide us with access to attractive direct investment opportunities.

Emphasis on minority equity positions.  Unlike many providers of private equity capital, we intend to seek primarily minority equity positions in our portfolio companies, including when we make direct investments in such companies. We expect this approach will make us more attractive to prospective portfolio companies in which we may make direct investments that may be unwilling or unable, due to their current capital structure, to cede actual or effective control to a new equity investor.
Emphasis on building a more diverse investment portfolio.  Unlike traditional private equity funds that often acquire substantial equity positions in a relatively small number of privately-held companies, we intend to acquire primarily minority positions in our portfolio companies. As a result, we will seek to hold a more diverse portfolio of equity investments than a traditional private equity fund, although we do not intend to operate as a diversified fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. We expect this approach will allow us to minimize the impact on our overall portfolio of a negative downturn at any one specific portfolio company.
Focus on providing individual investors with access to portfolio of previously inaccessible investments.  We expect that our focus on providing a more diverse portfolio of equity investments than a traditional private equity fund, while investing in attractive venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies will provide individual investors with access to an asset class that has previously been limited to venture capital, private equity and similar large institutional investors. In addition, while accredited individual investors have had limited access to select investments in private companies, including through private secondary markets, our portfolio approach provides a more balanced and diversified alternative to such direct private investments.

Potential Competitive Advantages

Although none of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals have prior experience managing a business development company, our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, the members of its Advisory Board and the members of our board of directors have experience managing private funds and researching and investing in the types of portfolio companies we intend to target for investment. In particular, we expect we will have the following potential competitive advantages over similar entities that focus on equity-based investing in privately-held companies:

Deep investment research on the leading private companies and emerging growth industries.  Our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board and our board of directors have significant experience researching and investing in the types of venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies we intend to target for investment. In particular, Michael T. Moe, our president, chief executive officer, chairman of our board of directors and the chief investment officer of NeXt Asset Management, co-founded and previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of ThinkEquity Partners, an asset management and investment banking firm focusing on venture capital, entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies. Prior to founding ThinkEquity, Mr. Moe served as Head of Global Growth Research at Merrill Lynch and before that

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served as Head of Growth Research and Strategy at Montgomery Securities. Since 2006, our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals have managed private funds that have invested in, and have published research on, the types of privately-held companies we intend to target for investment.

Our investment adviser will also have access to the extensive proprietary research developed by neXtup with respect to the types of companies in which we intend to invest. In particular, neXtup has used its proprietary research process to evaluate over 30 emerging private companies across the internet media, green technology and education industries. We expect this available knowledge and depth of experience will provide us with a potential competitive advantage over similar equity investors in both locating and acquiring attractive equity investments in portfolio companies that meet our investment criteria.

Detailed, transparent and repeatable investment process.  Over the course of more than two decades of researching and investing in rapidly-growing emerging non-public companies, Mr. Moe and our investment adviser’s other senior investment professionals have developed a detailed investment process for seeking attractive equity investments in such companies, although the investment process has not previously been implemented in the context of a business development company. Our proprietary investment process can be distilled to “the four Ps,” which are people (a critical component to successful investing is evaluating the people running the company), product (great growth companies are leaders in what they do), potential (it is essential to invest in companies that seize a huge market potential) and predictability (a challenge for young, fast-growing companies is delivering operating results that are predictable). These are the core elements we consider when identifying and investing in rapidly growing emerging companies. NeXt Asset Management intends to utilize this investment process to identify and evaluate prospective portfolio companies in which we may make equity investments. We expect that utilizing an investment process that has been developed and refined over the course of two decades, including through both positive and negative economic environments, will provide us with a potential competitive advantage in locating attractive equity investments for our portfolio, although we have not previously implemented the investment process in the context of a business development company.
Established proprietary deal sourcing network.  NeXt Asset Management and its senior investment professionals, Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov are strategically located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Woodside, California. During the course of over two decades of researching and investing in rapidly growing emerging non-public companies in the Silicon Valley area, our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals have developed strong reputations within the investing community, particularly within technology-related sectors. Our investment adviser’s Advisory Board members and our board of directors have also developed strong relationships in the financial, investing and technology-related sectors. As a result, we expect that we will have access to extensive contacts and sources from which to generate potential investment opportunities. These contacts and sources include private equity and venture capital funds, public and private companies, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants and commercial bankers. We expect the strong reputation of our senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board members and the members of our board of directors, as well as their extensive contacts within the investing community, will provide us with a potential competitive advantage in generating deal flow and attractive prospective investments.

Operating and Regulatory Structure

NeXt Innovation was formed in September 2010 as a Maryland corporation that is an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company. We intend to elect to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act prior to the pricing of this offering. As a business development company, we will be required to meet regulatory tests, including the requirement to invest at least 70% of our gross assets in “qualifying assets.” Qualifying assets generally include, among other things, securities of “eligible portfolio companies.” “Eligible portfolio companies” generally include U.S. companies that are not investment companies and that do not have securities listed on a national exchange. See “Regulation as a Business Development Company.” In addition, we intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes,

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and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Code. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”

Our investment activities will be managed by NeXt Asset Management and supervised by our board of directors. NeXt Asset Management is an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act. Under our investment advisory agreement, which we refer to as the Investment Advisory Agreement, we have agreed to pay NeXt Asset Management an annual base management fee based on our gross assets as well as an incentive fee based on our performance. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.” We have also entered into an administration agreement, which we refer to as the Administration Agreement, under which we have agreed to reimburse NeXt Innovation Service Company for our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including furnishing us with office facilities, equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities, as well as providing us with other administrative services. See “Administration Agreement.”

Our Corporate Information

Our offices are located at 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062, and our telephone number is (650) 206-2965.

Risk Factors

The value of our assets, as well as the market price of our shares, will fluctuate. Our investments may be risky, and you may lose all or part of your investment in us. Investing in NeXt Innovation involves other risks, including the following:

We have no operating history;
We are dependent upon NeXt Asset Management’s senior investment personnel for our future success;
There are significant potential conflicts of interest, which could impact our investment returns and limit the flexibility of our investment policies;
We will operate in a highly competitive market for direct equity investment opportunities;
The lack of liquidity in, and potentially extended duration of, many of our investments, may adversely affect our business, and will delay any distributions of gains, if any;
There will be uncertainty as to the value of our portfolio investments;
We may experience fluctuations in our quarterly results;
We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance;
Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock, and we cannot assure you that the market price of shares of our common stock will not decline following the offering;
Our common stock price may be volatile and may decrease substantially;
There is a risk that you may not receive dividends or that our dividends may not grow over time; and
Regulations governing our operation as a business development company affect our ability to, and the way in which we raise additional capital, which may expose us to risks.

See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 13 and the other information included in this prospectus for additional discussion of factors you should carefully consider before deciding to invest in shares of our common stock.

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THE OFFERING

Common Stock Offered by Us    
    3,500,000 shares.
Common Stock to be Outstanding After this Offering    
    Approximately 3,500,100 shares.
Use of Proceeds    
    Our net proceeds from this offering will be approximately $48,275,000, assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share. We plan to invest the net proceeds of this offering in the equity securities of portfolio companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described in this prospectus. We will also pay operating expenses, and may pay other expenses such as due diligence expenses of potential new investments, from net proceeds. We anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering will be used for the above purposes within six to twelve months, depending on the availability of investment opportunities that are consistent with our investment objectives and other market conditions, except for such amounts as may be retained for purposes of funding our ongoing operations subsequent to the completion of this offering. Pending such investments, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment. The management fee payable by us will not be reduced while our assets are invested in such securities. See “Use of Proceeds.”
Proposed NASDAQ Capital Market symbol    
    We have applied to have our common stock listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “NEXT.”
Distributions    
    The timing and amount of our dividends, if any, will be determined by our board of directors. Any dividends to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution. As we intend to focus on making primarily capital gains-based investments in equity securities, we do not anticipate that we will pay dividends on a quarterly basis or become a predictable issuer of dividends, and we expect that our dividends, if any, will be less consistent than other business development companies that primarily make debt investments.
Lock-up Agreements    
    NeXt Innovation and each of our directors and officers has agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this prospectus, such party will not, without the prior written consent of Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of or agree to sell or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly or hedge any shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares, provided, however, that NeXt Innovation may issue and sell shares pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co.

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    Inc. in its sole discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.
Taxation    
    We intend to elect to be treated for federal income tax purposes, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that we distribute to our stockholders as dividends. To obtain and maintain our RIC tax treatment, we must meet specified source-of-income and asset diversification requirements and distribute annually at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. See “Distributions” and “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.”
Investment Advisory Fees    
    We will pay NeXt Asset Management a fee for its services under the Investment Advisory Agreement consisting of two components — a base management fee and an incentive fee. The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of our gross assets, which includes any borrowings for investment purposes. The incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date), commencing on December 31, 2011, and will equal the lesser of (i) 20% of our realized capital gains during such calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and (ii) 20% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.” Although we will not incur debt or use leverage during the first 12 months following completion of this offering, because our management fee is based on our gross assets, including borrowings for investment purposes, rather than our net assets, there may an incentive for our investment adviser to utilize leverage in the future. We will be required, however, to obtain the approval of our board of directors before we incur any future indebtedness.
Administration Agreement    
    We will reimburse NeXt Innovation Service Company for our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses it incurs in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including furnishing us with office facilities, equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities, as well as providing us with other administrative services. In

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    addition, we will reimburse NeXt Innovation Service Company for the fees and expenses associated with performing compliance functions, and our allocable portion of the compensation of our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer and any administrative support staff. While there is no limit on the total amount of expenses we may be required to reimburse to NeXt Innovation Service Company, our administrator will only charge us for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to NeXt Innovation Service Company. See “Administration Agreement.”
Leverage    
    We will not incur indebtedness on our portfolio or pay any interest during the twelve months following completion of this offering. We also will not issue any preferred stock during the twelve months following completion of this offering.
Trading    
    Shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount to their net asset value. The risk that our shares may trade at a discount to our net asset value is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether our shares will trade above, at or below net asset value.
License Agreement    
    We have entered into a license agreement with NeXt Asset Management, pursuant to which NeXt Asset Management has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “NeXt.” See “License Agreement.”
Dividend Reinvestment Plan    
    We have adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan. If your shares of common stock are registered in your own name, your distributions will automatically be reinvested under our dividend reinvestment plan in additional whole and fractional shares of common stock, unless you “opt out” of our dividend reinvestment plan so as to receive cash dividends by delivering a written notice to our dividend paying agent. If your shares are held in the name of a broker or other nominee, you should contact the broker or nominee for details regarding opting out of our dividend reinvestment plan. Stockholders who receive distributions in the form of stock will be subject to the same federal, state and local tax consequences as stockholders who elect to receive their distributions in cash. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”
Certain Anti-Takeover Measures    
    Our charter and bylaws, as well as certain statutory and regulatory requirements, contain certain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change in control in circumstances that could give the holders of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the market price for our common stock. See “Description of Securities.”

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Risk Factors    
    Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the information found in “Risk Factors.” We have no operating history as a business development company and as a regulated investment company. If we fail to qualify as a regulated investment company, we could become subject to federal income tax on all of our income, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial performance. We intend to invest in venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies. These activities may involve a high degree of business and financial risk. We will also be subject to risks associated with access to additional capital, fluctuating quarterly results and variation in our portfolio value.
Available Information    
    After the completion of this offering, we will be required to file periodic reports, current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. This information will be available at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549 and on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. The public may obtain information on the operation of the SEC’s public reference room by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. This information will also be available free of charge by contacting us at NeXt Innovation Corp., 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062, by telephone at (650) 206-2965, or on our website at http://www.nextinnovationcorp.com.

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FEES AND EXPENSES

The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that you will bear directly or indirectly. We caution you that some of the percentages indicated in the table below are estimates and may vary. Except where the context suggests otherwise, whenever this prospectus contains a reference to fees or expenses paid by “us” or “NeXt Innovation,” or that “we” will pay fees or expenses, you will indirectly bear such fees or expenses as an investor in NeXt Innovation Corp.

 
Stockholder transaction expenses:
        
Sales load (as a percentage of offering price)     7.00 %(1) 
Offering expenses borne by common stockholders (as a percentage of offering price)     1.05 %(2) 
Dividend reinvestment plan expenses     None (3) 
Total stockholder transaction expenses (as a percentage of offering price)     8.05 % 
Annual expenses (as a percentage of net assets attributable to common stock):
        
Base management fee     2.00 %(4) 
Incentive fees payable under our investment advisory agreement (20%)     0.00 %(5) 
Interest payments on borrowed funds     0.00 %(6) 
Other expenses (estimated)     3.11 %(7) 
Total annual expenses     5.11 % 

Example

The following example demonstrates the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses that would be incurred over various periods with respect to a hypothetical investment in our common stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed that our annual operating expenses would remain at the levels set forth in the table above. See Note 6 below for additional information regarding certain assumptions regarding our level of leverage subsequent to this offering.

       
  1 Year   3 Years   5 Years   10 Years
You would pay the following expenses on a $1,000 investment, assuming a 5% annual return   $ 142     $ 252     $ 360     $ 619  

(1) The underwriting discounts and commissions with respect to shares sold in this offering, which is a one-time fee, is the only sales load paid in connection with this offering.
(2) Amount reflects estimated offering expenses of approximately $550,000. Certain of our officers and directors will initially pay any expenses we may incur in connection with this offering, subject to reimbursement from us of the actual offering expenses they have incurred on our behalf upon completion of this offering.
(3) The expenses of the dividend reinvestment plan are included in “other expenses.”
(4) Reflects our base management fee as a percentage of our net assets. Our base management fee under the Investment Advisory Agreement is based on our gross assets, which is defined as all the assets of NeXt Innovation, including those acquired using borrowings for investment purposes. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.” As a result, although we will not use leverage during the first 12 months following completion of this offering, to the extent we elect to utilize leverage in the future, our base management fee as a percentage of our net assets would increase.
(5) Based on our current business plan, we do not expect to invest fully the net proceeds from this offering for up to six to twelve months and we expect that we will not have any capital gains during our first year of operations after completion of this offering. As a result, we do not anticipate paying any incentive fees in the first year after completion of this offering. Once fully invested, we expect the incentive fees we pay to increase to the extent we realize capital gains upon the sale of equity investments in our portfolio companies. We expect that it will take more than three months to invest all of the proceeds of this offering, in part because investments in private companies often require substantial prior research and due diligence. The incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date), commencing on

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December 31, 2011, and will equal the lesser of (i) 20% of our realized capital gains during such calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and (ii) 20% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees. For a more detailed discussion of the calculation of this fee, see “Investment Advisory Agreement.”
(6) We do not currently anticipate incurring indebtedness on our portfolio or paying any interest during the twelve months following completion of this offering. We also do not currently anticipate issuing any preferred stock.
(7) “Other expenses” ($1.5 million, including costs and expenses associated with our formation and organization) are based upon estimates of the first full year of operations.

The example and the expenses in the tables above should not be considered a representation of our future expenses, and actual expenses may be greater or less than those shown. While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5.0% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5.0%. As the incentive fee under the Investment Advisory Agreement is payable only on realized capital gains, this illustration assumes that the entire 5.0% annual return is in the form of realized capital gains (computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation) in each of the indicated time periods. If we achieve a greater realization of realized capital gains than the assumed 5.0% annual return, our expenses and returns to our investors would be higher. In addition, the example assumes inclusion of the sales load of 7.0%. Also, while the example assumes reinvestment of all dividends at net asset value, participants in our dividend reinvestment plan will receive a number of shares of our common stock, determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the dividend payable to a participant by the market price per share of our common stock at the close of trading on the dividend payment date, which may be at, above or below net asset value. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan” for additional information regarding our dividend reinvestment plan.

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RISK FACTORS

Investing in our common stock involves a number of significant risks. In addition to the other information contained in this prospectus, you should consider carefully the following information before making an investment in our common stock. Although the risks described below represent our material risks, they are not the only risks we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us might also impair our operations and performance. If any of the following events occur, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. In such case, our net asset value and the trading price of our common stock could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure

We are a new company with no operating history, and our investment adviser has only a limited history of investing experience.

We were initially formed in September 2010 and will commence operations upon completion of this offering. As a result, we have limited financial information on which you can evaluate an investment in our company or our prior performance. In addition, our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, was formed in November 2009, and has only a limited history of investing experience managing a pool of assets substantially smaller in size than the net proceeds we expect to receive from this offering. We are subject to all of the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business, including the risk that we will not achieve our investment objective and that the value of your investment could decline substantially or fall to zero. In addition, we will have minimal capital resources until completion of this offering. We anticipate that it will take us up to six to twelve months to invest substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering in our targeted investments. During this period, we will invest in temporary investments, such as cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. In addition, we will retain a portion of the net proceeds from this offering for purposes of funding our ongoing operations subsequent to the completion of this offering.

Any failure on our part to maintain our status as a business development company would reduce our operating flexibility.

We intend to qualify as a business development company under the 1940 Act prior to consummation of this offering. The 1940 Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of business development companies. For example, business development companies are required to invest at least 70% of their gross assets in specified types of securities, primarily in private companies or thinly-traded U.S. public companies, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. Furthermore, any failure to comply with the requirements imposed on business development companies by the 1940 Act could cause the SEC to bring an enforcement action against us and/or expose us to claims of private litigants. In addition, upon approval of a majority of our stockholders, we may elect to withdraw our status as a business development company. If we decide to withdraw our election, or if we otherwise fail to qualify, or maintain our qualification, as a business development company, we may be subject to the substantially greater regulation under the 1940 Act as a closed-end investment company. Compliance with such regulations would significantly decrease our operating flexibility, and could significantly increase our costs of doing business. If we do not remain a business development company, we might be regulated as a closed-end investment company under the 1940 Act, which would subject us to substantially more regulatory restrictions under the 1940 Act and correspondingly decrease our operating flexibility.

We will be dependent upon NeXt Asset Management’s senior investment professionals for our future success, particularly Michael T. Moe, Stephen D. Bard and Luben Pampoulov. If we lose any our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, our ability to implement our business strategy could be significantly harmed.

We will depend on the diligence, skill and network of business contacts of the NeXt Asset Management’s senior investment professionals. These senior investment professionals, together with other investment professionals employed by NeXt Asset Management, will evaluate, negotiate, structure, close, monitor and service our investments. Our future success will depend to a significant extent on the continued service and coordination of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, particularly Michael T. Moe, Stephen

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D. Bard and Luben Pampoulov. None of Messrs. Moe, Bard or Pampoulov is subject to an employment contract, and neither will receive any compensation from us, other than payments attributable to the investment advisory fee. None of Messrs. Moe, Bard or Pampoulov will devote all of their business time to our operations, and each will have other demands on their time as a result of their other activities. The departure of either of these individuals could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective.

None of the NeXt Asset Management’s senior investment professionals or Advisory Board members, including Michael T. Moe, Stephen D. Bard and Luben Pampoulov, are subject to employment agreements, and we cannot assure you that our investment adviser will be successful in retaining its senior investment professionals.

None of the members of NeXt Asset Management’s senior investment professionals or its Advisory Board members, including Michael T. Moe, Stephen D. Bard and Luben Pampoulov, are subject to employment agreements. As a result, although Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov comprise the principals of NeXt Asset Management, they are free to terminate their employment with NeXt Asset Management at any time. In addition, none of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals or the Advisory Board members, including Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, are subject to any non-compete agreements that would restrict their ability to provide investment advisory services to an entity with an investment objective similar to our own in the event they were to terminate their employment with NeXt Asset Management, or if NeXt Asset Management were to no longer serve as our investment adviser. We cannot assure you that our investment adviser will be successful in retaining its senior investment professionals or the Advisory Board members, including Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov. The departure of either of Messrs. Moe, Bard or Pampoulov could have a material adverse effect on our ability to achieve our investment objective.

Our growth will require that NeXt Asset Management retain and attract new investment and administrative personnel in a competitive market. Its ability to attract and retain personnel with the requisite credentials, experience and skills will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, its ability to offer competitive wages, benefits and professional growth opportunities. Many of the entities, including investment funds (such as private equity funds and mezzanine funds) and traditional financial services companies, with which it will compete for experienced personnel will have greater resources than it will have.

A disruption in the capital markets and the credit markets could negatively affect our business.

As a business development company, we will have to maintain our ability to raise additional capital for investment purposes. Without sufficient access to the capital markets, we may be forced to curtail our business operations or we may not be able to pursue new business opportunities. Disruptive conditions in the financial industry and the impact of new legislation in response to those conditions could restrict our business operations and could adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.

Although we do not anticipate borrowing funds for investment purposes, to the extent we do utilize leverage and the fair value of our assets declines substantially, we may fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios imposed upon us by the 1940 Act. Any such failure would affect our ability to issue senior securities, including borrowings, and pay dividends, which could materially impair our business operations. Our liquidity could be impaired further by an inability to access the capital markets. For example, we cannot be certain that we will be able to raise additional equity capital to provide funding for normal operations, including new originations. Reflecting concern about the stability of the financial markets, many institutional investors have reduced or ceased providing funding to borrowers. This market turmoil has led to increased market volatility and widespread reduction of business activity generally.

Our financial condition and results of operations will depend on our ability to achieve our investment objective.

NeXt Innovation is a newly organized company. As such, it is subject to the business risks and uncertainties associated with any new business enterprise. Our ability to achieve our investment objective will depend on our investment adviser’s ability to identify, analyze, invest in and finance companies that meet our investment criteria. Accomplishing this result on a cost-effective basis is largely a function of our investment adviser’s structuring of the investment process and its ability to provide competent, attentive and efficient

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services to us. We cannot assure you that NeXt Asset Management will be successful in identifying and investing in companies that meet our investment criteria, or that we will achieve our investment objective.

In addition to monitoring the performance of our existing investments, NeXt Asset Management will be called upon, from time to time, to provide managerial assistance to some of our portfolio companies. These demands on their time may distract them or slow the rate of investment. Even if we are able to grow and build upon our investment operations, any failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. The results of our operations will depend on many factors, including the availability of opportunities for investment, readily accessible short and long-term funding alternatives in the financial markets and economic conditions. Furthermore, if we cannot successfully operate our business or implement our investment policies and strategies as described herein, it could negatively impact our ability to pay dividends.

We will incur significant costs as a result of being a publicly traded company.

As a publicly traded company, we will incur legal, accounting and other expenses, including costs associated with the periodic reporting requirements applicable to a company whose securities are registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, as well as additional corporate governance requirements, including requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and other rules implemented by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Even in the event the value of your investment declines, the management fee will still be payable.

The management fee will be calculated as 2.0% of the value of our gross assets at a specific time. The management fee is payable regardless of whether the value of our gross assets or your investment declines. As a result, we may owe NeXt Asset Management a management fee regardless of whether we incurred significant realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation (losses) during the period for which the management fee is paid.

Our business model depends upon the development and maintenance of strong referral relationships with private equity and venture capital funds and investment banking firms.

If we fail to maintain our relationships with key firms, or if we fail to establish strong referral relationships with other firms or other sources of investment opportunities, we will not be able to grow our portfolio of equity investments and achieve our investment objective. In addition, persons with whom we have informal relationships are not obligated to inform us of investment opportunities, and therefore such relationships may not lead to the origination of equity or other investments. Any loss or diminishment of such relationships could effectively reduce our ability to identify attractive portfolio companies that meet our investment criteria, either for direct equity investments or for investments through private secondary market transactions.

We will operate in a highly competitive market for direct equity investment opportunities.

A large number of entities compete with us to make the types of direct equity investments that we intend to target as a secondary focus of our business strategy. We will compete for such investments with a large number of private equity and venture capital funds, other equity and non-equity based investment funds, investment banks and other sources of financing, including traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and specialty finance companies. Many of our competitors are substantially larger than us and have considerably greater financial, technical and marketing resources than we do. For example, some competitors may have a lower cost of funds and access to funding sources that are not available to us. In addition, some of our competitors may have higher risk tolerances or different risk assessments, which could allow them to consider a wider variety of investments and establish more relationships than us. Furthermore, many of our competitors are not subject to the regulatory restrictions that the 1940 Act imposes on us as a business development company. There can be no assurance that the competitive pressures we face will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Also, as a result of this competition, we may not be able to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities from time to time, and we can offer no assurance that we will be able to identify and make direct equity investments that are consistent with our investment objective.

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There are significant potential risks relating to investing in securities traded on private secondary markets.

We intend to invest in our portfolio companies primarily through secondary market transactions. Unlike portfolio companies in which we may make direct investments, we will likely have little or no direct access to financial or other information from the portfolio companies in which we invest through such private secondary market transactions. As a result, we will be dependent upon the relationships and contacts of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board members and our board of directors to obtain the information necessary for our investment adviser to perform its research and due diligence process, and to monitor our investments after they are made. In addition, while our investment adviser will have access to the proprietary research and analytical capabilities of neXtup, we cannot assure you that our investment adviser will be able to acquire adequate information on which to make its investment decision with respect to any private secondary market purchases, or that the information it is able to obtain will be accurate or complete. Any failure to obtain full and complete information regarding the portfolio companies in which we invest through private secondary market transactions could cause us to lose part or all of our investment in such companies, which would have a material and adverse effect on our net asset value and results of operations.

In addition, while we believe private secondary markets provide greater opportunities for liquidity than direct investments in portfolio companies, we cannot assure you that the portfolio companies in which we invest through private secondary market transactions will have or maintain active trading markets, and the prices of those securities may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads and extended trade settlement periods, which may cause an inability for us to realize full value on our investment. In addition, wide swings in market prices, which are typical of irregularly traded securities, could cause significant and unexpected declines in the value of our portfolio investments. In addition, prices in private secondary markets that remain illiquid may not accurately reflect the true value of a portfolio company, and may in certain cases overstate a portfolio company’s actual value, which may cause us to realize future capital losses on our investment in that portfolio company. If any of the foregoing were to occur, it would likely have a material and adverse effect on our net asset value and results of operations.

There are significant potential risks associated with investing in venture capital and private equity-backed non-public companies with complex capital structures.

We intend to invest primarily in venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies, either through private secondary market transactions or through direct investments in such companies. Such private companies frequently have much more complex capital structures than traditional publicly-traded companies, and may have multiple classes of equity securities with differing rights, including with respect to voting and distributions. In certain cases, such 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. Although we believe that our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board members and our board of directors have extensive experience evaluating and investing in private companies with such complex capital structures, we cannot assure you that we will be able to adequately evaluate the relative risks and benefits of investing in a particular class of a portfolio company’s equity securities. Any failure on our part to properly evaluate the relative rights and value of a class of securities in which we invest could cause us to lose part or all of our investment, which in turn could have a material and adverse effect on our net asset value and results of operations.

There are significant potential conflicts of interest, which could impact our investment returns and limit the flexibility of our investment policies.

We have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with NeXt Asset Management. NeXt Asset Management is controlled by Michael T. Moe, our president, chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors, Stephen D. Bard, our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary, and Luben Pampoulov, our vice-president. Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, as principals of NeXt Asset Management, collectively manage the business and internal affairs of NeXt Asset Management. In addition, NeXt Innovation Service Company provides us with office facilities and administrative services pursuant to an Administration Agreement. Mr. Moe is the managing member of and controls NeXt Innovation Service Company. While there is no limit on the total amount of expenses we may be required to reimburse to

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NeXt Innovation Service Company, our administrator will only charge us for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to NeXt Innovation Service Company.

In addition, our executive officers and directors, and the principals of our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, serve or may serve as officers and directors of entities that operate in a line of business similar to our own. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. For example, NeXt Asset Management currently manages NeXt X Fund, LP (“NeXt X Fund”), a global long/short absolute return fund.

While the investment focus of each of these entities tends to be different from our investment objective, it is possible that new investment opportunities that meet our investment objective may come to the attention of one of these entities in connection with another investment advisory client or program, and, if so, such opportunity might not be offered, or otherwise made available, to us. However, our executive officers, directors and investment adviser intend to treat us in a fair and equitable manner consistent with their applicable duties under law so that we will not be disadvantaged in relation to any other particular client. In addition, NeXt Asset Management does not anticipate that it will ordinarily identify investment opportunities that are appropriate for both NeXt Innovation and the other funds that are currently or in the future may be managed by NeXt Asset Management. However, to the extent it does identify such opportunities, NeXt Asset Management will allocate such opportunities between NeXt Innovation and such other funds pursuant to an established procedure to ensure that such allocation is fair and equitable. Our board of directors will monitor on a quarterly basis any such allocation of investment opportunities between NeXt Innovation and any such other funds.

In the ordinary course of business, we may enter into transactions with portfolio companies that may be considered related party transactions. In order to ensure that we do not engage in any prohibited transactions with any persons affiliated with us, we have implemented certain written policies and procedures whereby our executive officers screen each of our transactions for any possible affiliations between the proposed portfolio investment, us, companies controlled by us and our executive officers and directors. We will not enter into any agreements unless and until we are satisfied that doing so will not raise concerns under the 1940 Act or, if such concerns exist, we have taken appropriate actions to seek board review and approval or exemptive relief for such transaction. Our board of directors will review these procedures on an annual basis.

We have also adopted a Code of Ethics which applies to, among others, our senior officers, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as well as all of our officers, directors and employees. Our officers and directors also remain subject to the fiduciary obligations imposed by both the 1940 Act and applicable state corporate law. Our Code of Ethics requires that all employees and directors avoid any conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, between an individual’s personal interests and our interests. Pursuant to our Code of Ethics, each employee and director must disclose any conflicts of interest, or actions or relationships that might give rise to a conflict, to our chief compliance officer. Our Audit Committee is charged with approving any waivers under our Code of Ethics. As required by the NASDAQ corporate governance listing standards, the Audit Committee of our board of directors is also required to review and approve any transactions with related parties, as such term is defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K. In accordance with Item 404, related parties generally include our directors and executive officers, any nominees for director, any immediate family member of a director or executive officer or nominee for director, and any other person sharing the household of such director, executive officer or nominee for director.

Finally, we will pay NeXt Innovation Service Company our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including a portion of the rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and any administrative support personnel, which creates conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor.

Our incentive fee may induce NeXt Asset Management to make speculative investments.

The incentive fee payable by us to NeXt Asset Management may create an incentive for NeXt Asset Management to make investments on our behalf that are risky or more speculative than would be the case in the absence of such compensation arrangement. Although no leverage is currently contemplated, the way in

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which the incentive fee payable to NeXt Asset Management is determined, which is calculated as a percentage of the return on invested capital, may encourage NeXt Asset Management to use leverage to increase the return on our investments. In addition, while we will not use borrowings or other leverage for investment purposes during the 12 months following completion of this offering, the fact that our base management fee is payable based upon our gross assets, which would include any borrowings for investment purposes, may encourage NeXt Asset Management to use leverage to make additional investments. We will be required, however, to obtain the approval of our board of directors before we incur any future indebtedness. Under certain circumstances, the use of leverage may increase the likelihood of default, which would disfavor holders of our common stock. Such a practice could result in our investing in more speculative securities than would otherwise be the case, which could result in higher investment losses, particularly during cyclical economic downturns.

In addition, our investment adviser will have control over the timing of the acquisition and dispositions of our investments, and therefore over when we realize gains and losses on our investments. As a result, our investment adviser may face a conflict of interest in determining when it is appropriate to dispose of a specific investment to the extent doing so may serve to maximize its incentive fee at a point where disposing of such investment may not necessarily be in the best interests of our stockholders. Our board of directors will monitor such conflicts of interest in connection with its review of the performance of our investment adviser under our Investment Advisory Agreement, as well as during its quarterly review of our financial performance and results of operations.

Our investment adviser will have the right to resign on 60 days’ notice, and we may not be able to find a suitable replacement within that time, resulting in a disruption in our operations that could adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

Our investment adviser will have the right, under the Investment Advisory Agreement, to resign at any time upon not more than 60 days’ written notice, whether we have found a replacement or not. If our investment adviser resigns, we may not be able to find a new investment adviser or hire internal management with similar expertise and ability to provide the same or equivalent services on acceptable terms within 60 days, or at all. If we are unable to do so quickly, our operations are likely to experience a disruption, our financial condition, business and results of operations as well as our ability to pay distributions are likely to be adversely affected and the market price of our shares may decline. In addition, the coordination of our internal management and investment activities is likely to suffer if we are unable to identify and reach an agreement with a single institution or group of executives having the expertise possessed by our investment adviser and its affiliates. Even if we are able to retain comparable management, whether internal or external, the integration of such management and their lack of familiarity with our investment objective may result in additional costs and time delays that may adversely affect our financial condition, business and results of operations.

The lack of experience of our investment adviser and its management in operating under the constraints imposed on us as a business development company may hinder the achievement of our investment objectives.

The 1940 Act imposes numerous constraints on the operations of business development companies. For example, business development companies are required to invest at least 70% of their total assets primarily in securities of U.S.-based private companies or public companies with market capitalizations of less than $250 million, cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities and other high quality debt instruments that mature in one year or less. In addition, qualification for taxation as a RIC requires satisfaction of source-of-income, diversification and distribution requirements. NeXt Asset Management does not have experience investing under these constraints. These constraints, among others, may hinder NeXt Asset Management’s ability to take advantage of attractive investment opportunities and to achieve our investment objective.

We will likely experience fluctuations in our quarterly results.

We will likely experience fluctuations in our quarterly operating results due to a number of factors, including the rate at which we make new investments, the level of our expenses, variations in and the timing of the recognition of realized and unrealized gains or losses, the degree to which we encounter competition in our markets and general economic conditions. These fluctuations may in certain cases be exaggerated as a

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result of our focus on realizing capital gains rather than current income from our investments. As a result of these factors, results for any period should not be relied upon as being indicative of performance in future periods.

We may have difficulty paying our required distributions if we recognize income before or without receiving cash representing such income.

Although we intend to focus on achieving capital gains from our investments, in certain cases we may receive current income, either through interest or dividend payments, on our investments. Because in certain cases we may recognize such current income before or without receiving cash representing such income, we may have difficulty satisfying the annual distribution requirement applicable to RICs. Accordingly, we may have to sell some of our investments at times we would not consider advantageous, raise additional debt or equity capital or reduce new investments to meet these distribution requirements. If we are not able to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for RIC tax treatment and thus be subject to corporate-level income tax.

Regulations governing our operation as a business development company affect our ability to, and the way in which we raise additional capital, which may expose us to risks, including the typical risks associated with leverage.

Although we will not use leverage during the first 12 months of operations following completion of this offering, and we have no present intent to issue preferred stock, we may in the future issue debt securities or preferred stock and/or borrow money from banks or other financial institutions, which we refer to collectively as “senior securities,” up to the maximum amount permitted by the 1940 Act. Under the provisions of the 1940 Act, we will be permitted, as a business development company, to issue senior securities in amounts such that our asset coverage ratio, as defined in the 1940 Act, equals at least 200% of gross assets less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities, after each issuance of senior securities. If the value of our assets declines, we may be unable to satisfy this test. If that happens, we may be required to sell a portion of our investments and, depending on the nature of our leverage, repay a portion of our indebtedness at a time when such sales may be disadvantageous. Furthermore, any amounts that we use to service our indebtedness would not be available for distributions to our common stockholders.

If in the future we issue debt or preferred stock, all of the costs of offering and servicing such debt or preferred stock, including interest or preferential dividend payments thereon, will be borne by our common stockholders. The interests of the holders of any debt or preferred stock we may issue will not necessarily be aligned with the interests of our common stockholders. In particular, the rights of holders of our debt or preferred stock to receive interest, dividends or principal repayment will be senior to those of our common stockholders. Also, in the event we issue preferred stock, the holders of such preferred stock will have the ability to elect two members of our board of directors, which may result in a conflict of interest for such directors between the interests of our common stockholders on the one hand and our preferred stockholders on the other hand, in the event their respective interests vary. In addition, we may grant a lender a security interest in a significant portion or all of our assets, even if the total amount we may borrow from such lender is less than the amount of such lender’s security interest in our assets. In no event, however, will any lender to us have any veto power over, or any vote with respect to, any change in our, or approval of any new, investment objective or investment policies or strategies described in this prospectus.

We are not generally able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value of our common stock if our board of directors determines that such sale is in the best interests of NeXt Innovation and its stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. In any such case, the price at which our securities are to be issued and sold may not be less than a price which, in the determination of our board of directors, closely approximates the market value of such securities (less any distributing commission or discount). We are also generally prohibited under the 1940 Act from issuing securities convertible into voting securities without obtaining the approval of our existing stockholders.

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Our board of directors is authorized to reclassify any unissued shares of stock into one or more classes of preferred stock, which could convey special rights and privileges to its owners.

Our charter permits our board of directors to reclassify any authorized but unissued shares of stock into one or more classes of preferred stock. Our board of directors will generally have broad discretion over the size and timing of any such reclassification, subject to a finding that the reclassification and issuance of such preferred stock is in the best interests of NeXt Innovation and our existing common stockholders. Any issuance of preferred stock would be subject to certain limitations imposed under the 1940 Act, including the requirement that such preferred stock have equal voting rights with our outstanding common stock. See “Description of Securities — Preferred Stock.” We are currently authorized to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, of which 3,500,100 shares will be issued and outstanding after completion of this offering. In the event our board of directors opts to reclassify a portion of our unissued shares of common stock into a class of preferred stock, those preferred shares would have a preference over our common stock with respect to dividends and liquidation. The cost of any such reclassification would be borne by our existing common stockholders. In addition, the 1940 Act provides that holders of preferred stock are entitled to vote separately from holders of common stock to elect two preferred stockholders. The class voting rights of any preferred shares we may issue could make it more difficult for us to take some actions that may, in the future, be proposed by the board of directors and/or the holders of our common stock, such as a merger, exchange of securities, liquidation, or alteration of the rights of a class of our securities, if these actions were perceived by the holders of preferred shares as not in their best interests. The issuance of preferred shares convertible into shares of common stock might also reduce the net income and net asset value per share of our common stock upon conversion. These effects, among others, could have an adverse effect on your investment in our common stock.

Our board of directors may change our investment objective, operating policies and strategies without prior notice or stockholder approval, the effects of which may be adverse.

Our board of directors will have the authority to modify or waive our investment objective, current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies without prior notice and without stockholder approval. We cannot predict the effect any changes to our current operating policies, investment criteria and strategies would have on our business, net asset value, operating results and value of our stock. However, the effects might be adverse, which could negatively impact our ability to pay you dividends and cause you to lose all or part of your investment.

We will be subject to corporate-level income tax if we are unable to qualify as a regulated investment company, or RIC.

Although we intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code beginning in 2011 and succeeding tax years, no assurance can be given that we will be able to qualify for and maintain RIC status. In order to qualify as a RIC, we must meet certain income source, asset diversification and annual distribution requirements. The income source requirement is satisfied if, we must derive each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, income from certain qualified publicly traded partnership or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities. The annual distribution requirement for a RIC is satisfied if we distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any, to our stockholders on an annual basis. Although no leverage is currently contemplated, because we may use additional debt financing in the future, we may be subject to certain asset coverage ratio requirements under the 1940 Act and financial covenants under loan and credit agreements that could, under certain circumstances, restrict us from making distributions necessary to satisfy the annual distribution requirement. If we are unable to obtain cash from other sources, we may fail to qualify for special tax treatment as a RIC and, thus, may be subject to corporate-level income tax on all our income. To qualify as a RIC, we must also meet certain asset diversification requirements at the end of each quarter of our taxable year. Failure to meet these tests may result in our having to dispose of certain investments quickly in order to prevent the loss of RIC status. Because most of our investments will be in private companies, any such dispositions could be made at disadvantageous prices and may result in substantial losses. If we fail to qualify as a RIC for any reason and remain or become subject to

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corporate income tax, the resulting corporate-level federal taxes could substantially reduce our net assets, the amount of income available for distribution and the amount of our distributions. Such a failure would have a material adverse effect on us and our stockholders.

Changes in laws or regulations governing our operations may adversely affect our business.

We and our portfolio companies will be subject to regulation by laws at the local, state and federal levels. These laws and regulations, as well as their interpretation, may be changed from time to time. Any change in these laws or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our business and the value of your investment.

Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and of our charter and bylaws could deter takeover attempts and have an adverse impact on the price of our common stock.

Our charter and bylaws, as well as certain statutory and regulatory requirements, contain certain provisions that may have the effect of discouraging a third party from making an acquisition proposal for us. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting any and all acquisitions by any person of our shares of stock from the Control Share Act under the Maryland General Corporation Law. If our board of directors does not otherwise approve a business combination, the Control Share Act (if we amend our bylaws to be subject to that Act) may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer. Additionally, under our charter, our board of directors is divided into three classes serving staggered terms; our board of directors may, without stockholder action, authorize the issuance of shares of stock in one or more classes or series, including preferred stock; and our board of directors may, without stockholder action, amend our charter to increase the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue. These anti-takeover provisions may inhibit a change of control in circumstances that could give the holders of our common stock the opportunity to realize a premium over the market price for our common stock.

Risks Related To Our Investments

Our investments in the privately-held venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies that we are targeting may be extremely risky and we could lose all or part of our investments.

Investment in the venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies that we are targeting involves a number of significant risks, including:

these companies may have limited financial resources and may be unable to meet their obligations under their existing debt, which may lead to bankruptcy or liquidation and the loss of our equity investment;
they typically have limited operating histories, narrower, less established product lines and smaller market shares than larger businesses, which tend to render them more vulnerable to competitors’ actions, market conditions and consumer sentiment in respect of their products or services, as well as general economic downturns;
because they are privately owned, there is generally little publicly available information about these businesses; therefore, although our investment adviser’s agents will perform “due diligence” investigations on these portfolio companies, their operations and their prospects, we may not learn all of the material information we need to know regarding these businesses and, in the case of investments we acquire on private secondary markets, we may be unable to obtain financial or other information regarding the companies in which we invest;
they are 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 our portfolio company and, in turn, on us; and

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they generally have less predictable operating results, may from time to time be parties to litigation, may be engaged in rapidly changing businesses with products subject to a substantial risk of obsolescence, and may require substantial additional capital to support their operations, finance expansion or maintain their competitive position.

A portfolio company’s failure to satisfy financial or operating covenants imposed by its lenders could lead to defaults and, potentially, termination of its loans and foreclosure on its assets, which could trigger cross-defaults under other agreements and jeopardize our equity investment in such portfolio company. We may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery of our equity investment or to negotiate new terms with a financially distressed portfolio company.

We have not identified the portfolio companies in which we will invest the net proceeds of this offering.

Our investments will be selected by our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals who comprise its investment committee and our stockholders will not have input into their investment decisions. Both of these factors will increase the uncertainty, and thus the risk, of investing in our shares.

We may not realize gains from our equity investments.

We intend to invest principally in the equity and equity-related securities of privately-held venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies. However, the equity interests we acquire may not appreciate in value and, in fact, may decline in value. Accordingly, we may not be able to realize gains from our equity interests, and any gains that we do realize on the disposition of any equity interests may not be sufficient to offset any other losses we experience. We will generally have little, if any, control over the timing of any gains we may realize from our equity investments.

Our portfolio may be concentrated in a limited number of portfolio companies or market sectors, which will subject us to a risk of significant loss if the business or market position of these companies deteriorates or market sectors experiences a market downturn.

A consequence of our limited number of investments is that the aggregate returns we realize may be significantly adversely affected if a small number of investments perform poorly or if we need to write down the value of any one investment. Beyond our income tax asset diversification requirements, we do not have fixed guidelines for diversification, and our investments could be concentrated in relatively few issuers. In addition, our investments may be concentrated in a limited number of market sectors, including in technology-related sectors. As a result, a downturn in any market sector in which a significant number of our portfolio companies operate could materially adversely affect us.

Technology-related sectors are subject to many risks, including volatility, intense competition, decreasing life cycles and periodic downturns.

Given the experience of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and its Advisory Board members within the technology space, we expect that a number of the companies in which we invest will operate in technology-related sectors. The revenues, income (or losses) and valuations of technology-related companies can and often do fluctuate suddenly and dramatically. In addition, because of rapid technological change, the average selling prices of products and some services provided by technology-related sectors have historically decreased over their productive lives. As a result, the average selling prices of products and services offered by our portfolio companies that operated in technology-related sectors may decrease over time, which could adversely affect their operating results and, correspondingly, the value of any equity securities that we may hold. This could, in turn, materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Because our investments will generally not be in publicly traded securities, there will be uncertainty regarding the value of our investments, which could adversely affect the determination of our net asset value.

Our portfolio investments will generally not be in publicly traded securities. As a result, although we expect that many of our equity investments will trade on private secondary markets, the fair value of our direct investments in portfolio companies will often not be readily determinable. Under the 1940 Act, for our

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investments for which there are no readily available market quotations, including securities that while listed on a private securities exchange, have not actively traded, we will value such securities at fair value quarterly as determined in good faith by our board of directors based upon the recommendation of the Board of Director’s Valuation Committee in accordance with our written valuation policy. In connection with that determination, members of investment adviser’s portfolio management team will prepare portfolio company valuations using the most recent portfolio company financial statements and forecasts. The Valuation Committee intends to utilize the services of an independent valuation firm, which will prepare valuations for each of our portfolio investments that are not publicly traded or for which we do not have readily available market quotations, including securities that while listed on a private securities exchange, have not actively traded. However, the board of directors will retain ultimate authority as to the appropriate valuation of each such investment. The types of factors that the Valuation Committee will take into account in providing its fair value recommendation to the board of directors with respect to such non-traded investments will include, as relevant, the portfolio company’s earnings, the markets in which the portfolio company does business, comparison to valuations of publicly traded companies, comparisons to recent sales of comparable companies, the discounted value of the cash flows of the portfolio company and other relevant factors. Because such valuations are inherently uncertain and may be based on estimates, our determinations of fair value may differ materially from the values that would be assessed if a readily available market for these securities existed. Due to this uncertainty, our fair value determinations with respect to any non-traded investments we hold may cause our net asset value on a given date to materially understate or overstate the value that we may ultimately realize on one or more of our investments. As a result, investors purchasing our common stock based on an overstated net asset value would pay a higher price than the value of our investments might warrant. Conversely, investors selling shares during a period in which the net asset value understates the value of our investments will receive a lower price for their shares than the value of our investments might warrant.

The lack of liquidity in, and potentially extended duration of, our many of our investments may adversely affect our business, and will delay any distributions of gains, if any.

Our investments will generally not be in publicly traded securities. Although we expect that many of our equity investments will trade on private secondary markets, certain of the securities we hold will be subject to legal and other restrictions on resale or will otherwise be less liquid than publicly traded securities. In addition, while some portfolio companies may trade on private secondary markets, we can provide no assurance that such a trading market will continue or remain active, or that we will be able to sell our position in any portfolio company at the time we desire to do so and at the price we anticipate. The illiquidity of our investments, including those that are listed on private secondary markets, may make it difficult for us to sell such investments if the need arises. Also, if we are required to liquidate all or a portion of our portfolio quickly, we may realize significantly less than the value at which we have previously recorded our investments. We will have no limitation on the portion of our portfolio that may be invested in illiquid securities, and a substantial portion or all of our portfolio may be invested in such illiquid securities from time to time.

In addition, because we will generally invest in equity and equity-related securities, we do not expect realization events, if any, to occur in the near-term. We expect that our holdings of equity securities may require several years to appreciate in value, and we can offer no assurance that such appreciation will occur. Even if such appreciation does occur, it is likely that initial purchasers of our shares could wait for an extended period of time before any appreciation or sale of our investments, and any attendant distributions of gains, may be realized.

Investments in foreign companies may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.

While we intend to invest primarily in U.S. companies, we may invest on an opportunistic basis in certain non-U.S. companies, including those located in emerging markets, that otherwise meet out investment criteria, although in no event will the aggregate value of our non-U.S. investments exceed 30% of the aggregate value of our total investment portfolio. Investing in foreign companies, and particularly those in emerging markets, may expose us to additional risks not typically associated with investing in U.S. issues. These risks include changes in exchange control regulations, political and social instability, expropriation, imposition of foreign taxes, less liquid markets and less available information than is generally the case in the United States, higher

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transaction costs, less government supervision of exchanges, brokers and issuers, less developed bankruptcy laws, difficulty in enforcing contractual obligations, lack of uniform accounting and auditing standards and greater price volatility. Further, we may have difficulty enforcing our rights as equity holders in foreign jurisdictions. In addition, to the extent we invest in non-U.S. companies, we may face greater exposure to foreign economic developments.

Although we expect that most of our investments will be U.S. dollar-denominated, any investments denominated in a foreign currency will be subject to the risk that the value of a particular currency will change in relation to one or more other currencies. Among the factors that may affect currency values are trade balances, the level of short-term interest rates, differences in relative values of similar assets in different currencies, long-term opportunities for investment and capital appreciation, and political developments.

Our failure to make follow-on investments in our portfolio companies could impair the value of our portfolio.

Following an initial investment in a portfolio company, we may make additional investments in that portfolio company as “follow-on” investments, in order to: (1) increase or maintain in whole or in part our equity ownership percentage; (2) exercise warrants, options or convertible securities that were acquired in the original or subsequent financing; or (3) attempt to preserve or enhance the value of our investment.

We may elect not to make follow-on investments or may otherwise lack sufficient funds to make those investments. We have the discretion to make any follow-on investments, subject to the availability of capital resources. The failure to make follow-on investments may, in some circumstances, jeopardize the continued viability of a portfolio company and our initial investment, or may result in a missed opportunity for us to increase our participation in a successful operation. Even if we have sufficient capital to make a desired follow-on investment, we may elect not to make a follow-on investment because we may not want to increase our concentration of risk, because we prefer other opportunities, or because we are inhibited by compliance with business development company requirements or the desire to maintain our tax status.

In the event we do not hold controlling equity interests in our portfolio companies, we may not be in a position to exercise control over our portfolio companies or to prevent decisions by management of our portfolio companies that could decrease the value of our investments.

Generally, we will not take controlling equity positions in our portfolio companies. As a result, we will be subject to the risk that a portfolio company may make business decisions with which we disagree, and the stockholders and management of a portfolio company may take risks or otherwise act in ways that are adverse to our interests. Due to the lack of liquidity for the equity and equity-related investments that we will typically hold in our portfolio companies, we may not be able to dispose of our investments in the event we disagree with the actions of a portfolio company, and may therefore suffer a decrease in the value of our investments.

Risks Related to This Offering

Prior to this offering, there has been no public market for our common stock, and we cannot assure you that the market price of shares of our common stock will not decline following the offering.

Before this offering, there was no public trading market for our common stock, and we cannot assure you that one will develop or be sustained after this offering. We cannot predict the prices at which our common stock will trade. The initial public offering price for our common stock will be determined through our negotiations with the underwriters and will not bear any relationship to the market price at which it will trade after this offering or to any other established criteria for our value. Shares of closed-end management investment companies offered in an initial public offering often trade at a discount to the initial public offering price due to sales loads, underwriting discounts and related offering expenses. In addition, shares of closed-end management investment companies have in the past frequently traded at discounts to their net asset values and our stock may also be discounted in the market. This characteristic of closed-end management investment companies is separate and distinct from the risk that our net asset value per share may decline. We cannot predict whether shares of our common stock will trade above, at or below our net asset value. The risk of loss associated with this characteristic of closed-end management investment companies may be greater for investors expecting to sell shares of common stock purchased in the offering soon after the offering. In addition, if our common stock trades below its net asset value, we will generally not be able to sell additional

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shares of our common stock to the public at its market price without first obtaining the approval of our stockholders (including our unaffiliated stockholders) and our independent directors prior to such issuance. Also, if subsequent to completion of this offering we fail to meet the continued listing standards of the NASDAQ Capital Market, as a result of a decline in our share price, aggregate market capitalization or otherwise, our shares may be de-listed and cease trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market. If that were to occur, our shares of common stock may become illiquid or have only limited trading, and the price of our shares could decline significantly.

Our common stock price may be volatile and may decrease substantially.

The trading price of our common stock may fluctuate substantially. The price of the common stock that will prevail in the market after this offering may be higher or lower than the price you pay, depending on many factors, some of which are beyond our control and may not be directly related to our operating performance. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

price and volume fluctuations in the overall stock market from time to time;
investor demand for our shares;
significant volatility in the market price and trading volume of securities of regulated investment companies, business development companies or other financial services companies;
changes in regulatory policies or tax guidelines with respect to regulated investment companies or business development companies;
failure to qualify as a RIC, or the loss of RIC status;
actual or anticipated changes in our earnings or fluctuations in our operating results or changes in the expectations of securities analysts;
general economic conditions and trends;
fluctuations in the valuation of our portfolio investments;
operating performance of companies comparable to us;
market sentiment against technology-related companies; or
departures of any of the senior investment professionals or Advisory Board members of NeXt Asset Management.

In the past, following periods of volatility in the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been brought against that company. Due to the potential volatility of our stock price, we may therefore be the target of securities litigation in the future. Securities litigation could result in substantial costs and divert management’s attention and resources from our business.

There is a risk that you may not receive dividends or that our dividends may not grow over time.

We cannot assure you that we will achieve investment results or maintain a tax status that will allow or require any specified level of cash distributions or year-to-year increases in cash distributions. As we intend to focus on making primarily capital gains-based investments in equity securities, we do not anticipate that we will pay dividends on a quarterly basis or become a predictable issuer of dividends, and we expect that our dividends, if any, will be less consistent than other business development companies that primarily make debt investments.

We will have broad discretion over the use of proceeds of this offering, to the extent it is successful, and will use proceeds in part to satisfy operating expenses.

We will have significant flexibility in applying the proceeds of this offering and may use the net proceeds from this offering in ways with which you may not agree, or for purposes other than those contemplated at the time of this offering. We can not assure you that we will be able to successfully utilize the proceeds within the timeframe contemplated. We will also pay operating expenses, and may pay other expenses such as due diligence expenses of potential new investments, from net proceeds. Our ability to achieve our investment objective may be limited to the extent that the net proceeds of the offering, pending full investment, are used to pay operating expenses. In addition, we can provide you no assurance that the current offering will be

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successful, or that by increasing the size of our available equity capital our aggregate expenses, and correspondingly, our expense ratio, will be lowered.

Investors in this offering will incur immediate dilution.

Commissions and discounts payable to the underwriters, together with our organizational expense and other expenses of this offering, will reduce the net proceeds of the offering available for us to invest. This will result in immediate dilution of our net asset value per share following the offering of approximately $1.21, or approximately $1.19 per share if the underwriters’ over-allotment option is exercised in full, assuming a public offering price of $15.00 per share.

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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND PROJECTIONS

This prospectus contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about NeXt Innovation, our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs, and our assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:

an economic downturn could impair our portfolio companies’ ability to continue to operate, which could lead to the loss of some or all of our equity investments in such portfolio companies,
an economic downturn could disproportionately impact the market sectors in which a significant portion of our portfolio is concentrated, causing us to suffer losses in our portfolio,
an inability to access the equity markets could impair our investment activities,
interest rate volatility could adversely affect our results, particularly if we opt to use leverage as part of our investment strategy, and
the risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus and in our filings with the SEC.

Although we believe that the assumptions on which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of those assumptions could prove to be inaccurate, and as a result, the forward-looking statements based on those assumptions also could be inaccurate. In light of these and other uncertainties, the inclusion of a projection or forward-looking statement in this prospectus should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include those described or identified in “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in this prospectus. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this prospectus. The forward-looking statements and projections contained in this prospectus are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the “Securities Act.” In addition, the forward-looking statements and projections contained in any reports we may file subsequent to completion of this offering under the Exchange Act will be excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 21E of the Exchange Act.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We estimate that the net proceeds we will receive from the sale of 3,500,000 shares of our common stock in this offering will be approximately $48.3 million, or approximately $55.6 million if the underwriters fully exercise their over-allotment option, in each case assuming an initial public offering price of $15.00 per share, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated organization and offering expenses of approximately $550,000 payable out of the proceeds of this offering.

After satisfying the above-referenced obligations, we plan to invest the remaining net proceeds of this offering in portfolio companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described in this prospectus. We will also use a portion of the net proceeds to pay operating expenses, and other expenses such as due diligence expenses relating to potential new investments. We anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering will be used for the above purposes within six to twelve months, depending on the availability of investment opportunities that are consistent with our investment objectives and market conditions, except for such amounts as may be retained for purposes of funding our ongoing operations subsequent to the completion of this offering. We cannot assure you we will achieve our targeted investment pace. Pending such investments, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment. The management fee payable by us will not be reduced while our assets are invested in such securities. See “Regulation as a Business Development Company—Temporary Investments” for additional information about temporary investments we may make while waiting to make longer-term investments in pursuit of our investment objective.

DISTRIBUTIONS

The timing and amount of our dividends, if any, will be determined by our board of directors. Any dividends to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution. We intend to focus on making capital gains-based investments. As such, we do not anticipate that we will pay dividends on a quarterly basis or become a predictable issuer of dividends, and we expect that our dividends, if any, will be much less consistent than other business development companies that primarily make debt investments. However, to the extent there are earnings or realized capital gains to be distributed, we intend to declare and pay a dividend at least annually.

We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, beginning with our 2011 taxable year. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must, among other things, distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. In order to avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we currently intend to distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (3) any ordinary income and net capital gains for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. In addition, although we currently intend to distribute realized net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually, we may in the future decide to retain such capital gains for investment. If this happens, you will be treated as if you received an actual distribution of the capital gains we retain and reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in us. You also may be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” We can offer no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, to the extent that we issue senior securities, we will be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

Our current intention is to make any distributions in additional shares of our common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan, out of assets legally available therefor, unless you elect to receive your dividends and/or long-term capital gains distributions in cash. Under the dividend reinvestment plan, if a U.S. stockholder owns shares of common stock registered in its own name, the U.S. stockholder will have all cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of common stock unless the U.S. stockholder opts out of our dividend reinvestment plan by delivering a written notice to our dividend paying agent prior to the

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record date of the next dividend or distribution. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” Any distributions reinvested under the plan will nevertheless remain taxable to the U.S. stockholder. As a result, if you do not elect to opt out of the dividend reinvestment plan, you will be required to pay applicable federal, state and local taxes on any reinvested dividends even though you will not receive a corresponding cash distribution. In addition, reinvested dividends have the effect of increasing our gross assets, which may correspondingly increase the management fee payable to our investment adviser. If you hold shares in the name of a broker or financial intermediary, you should contact the broker or financial intermediary regarding your election to receive distributions in cash.

CAPITALIZATION

The following table sets forth:

our actual cash and capitalization as of February 28, 2011; and
our cash and capitalization as adjusted to reflect the sale of our common stock in this offering at an assumed public offering price of $15.00 per share, after deducting the estimated underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated organizational and offering expenses payable out of the proceeds of this offering.

   
  As of February 28, 2011
     Actual   As Adjusted
Assets:
                 
Cash   $ 1,500     $ 48,276,500  
Total assets   $ 170,046     $ 48,276,500  
Stockholders’ equity:
                 
Common stock, par value $0.01 per share, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 100 shares outstanding, actual, 3,500,100 shares outstanding, as adjusted   $ 1     $ 35,001  
Additional paid-in capital     1,499       48,241,499  
Accumulated net investment loss     (12,008 )      (12,008 ) 
Total stockholders’ equity   $ (10,508 )      48,264,492  

DILUTION

The potential dilution to investors in this offering is represented by the amount by which the offering price per share exceeds our net asset value per share after the completion of this offering. Net asset value per share is determined by dividing our net asset value, which is our total assets less total liabilities, by the number of outstanding shares.

As of February 28, 2011 our net asset deficit was approximately $(10,508), or approximately $(105) per share. After giving effect to the sale of 3,500,000 shares of our common stock in this offering at a public offering price of $15.00 per share, and after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions of approximately $3,675,000 and estimated offering expenses of approximately $550,000 payable by us, our adjusted net asset value is expected to be approximately $48,264,492 or $13.79 per share, representing an immediate dilution of approximately $1.21 per share to investors in this offering.

The following table illustrates the dilution on a per share basis, taking into account the assumptions set forth above:

 
Offering price per share   $ 15.00  
February 28, 2011 net asset deficit per share before this offering   $ (105.08 ) 
Increase per share attributable to investors in this offering   $ 120.08  
As adjusted net asset value per share immediately after this offering   $ 13.79  
Dilution per share attributable to investors in this offering   $ 1.21  

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DISCUSSION OF THE COMPANY’S EXPECTED OPERATING PLANS

Overview

NeXt Innovation was incorporated under the General Corporation Law of the State of Maryland in September 2010. We intend to elect to be regulated as a business development company under the 1940 Act. As such, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements. For instance, we have to invest at least 70% of our total assets in “qualifying assets,” including securities of private or thinly traded public U.S. companies and cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. This offering will provide our initial capital resources.

Revenues

We plan to generate revenue in the form of capital gains through the appreciation in the value of our equity positions and warrants or other equity instruments that we may receive when we make investments in venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies. We do not expect to generate interest income, and we do not expect to receive recurring cash flows from our portfolio investments. The level of revenue that we generate will be largely dependent on economic, regulatory, and competitive factors that influence new investment activity, the level of realization events we experience with respect to our equity investments, and our ability to secure equity capital for our investment activities. We will likely be unable to predict the timing and amount of any capital gains we may receive from our portfolio investments. Accordingly, the revenue we generate, if any, will likely be subject to significant fluctuations.

Expenses

Our primary operating expenses will include the payment of investment management fees and the allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement. While there is no limit on the total amount of expenses we may be required to reimburse to NeXt Innovation Service Company, our administrator will only charge us for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to NeXt Innovation Service Company. Our investment management fee will compensate our investment adviser for its work in identifying, evaluating, negotiating, closing, monitoring and servicing our investments. See “Investment Advisory Agreement,” and “Administration Agreement.” As of the end of each fiscal quarter, we will evaluate whether the cumulative aggregate unrealized appreciation on our portfolio would be sufficient to require us to pay an incentive fee to our investment adviser if such unrealized appreciation were actually realized as of the end of such quarter, and if so, we will accrue an expense equal to the amount of such incentive fee. We will bear all other expenses of our operations and transactions, including (without limitation) the cost of calculating our net asset value, including the cost of third-party valuation services; the cost of effecting sales and repurchases of shares of our common stock and other securities; investment advisory fees; fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making investments (in each case subject to approval of our board of directors); transfer agent and custodial fees; fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts (including attendance at investment conferences and similar events); federal and state registration fees; any exchange listing fees; federal, state and local taxes; independent directors’ fees and expenses; brokerage commissions; costs of proxy statements, stockholders’ reports and notices; fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums; direct costs such as printing, mailing, long distance telephone, staff, independent audits and outside legal costs and all other expenses incurred by either NeXt Innovation Service Company or us in connection with administering our business, including payments under the Administration Agreement that will be based upon our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and any administrative support personnel. You will indirectly bear all of the foregoing fees and expenses as an investor in NeXt Innovation.

Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources

We will generate cash primarily from the net proceeds of this offering and any future offerings of securities and cash flows from operations, including interest earned from the temporary investment of cash in U.S. Government securities and other high-quality debt investments that mature in one year or less. Our

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primary use of funds will be investments in portfolio companies and cash distributions to holders of our common stock, except for such amounts as may be retained for purposes of funding our ongoing operations subsequent to the completion of this offering. Immediately after this offering, we expect to have cash resources in excess of $48,276,500 and no indebtedness, assuming an initial offering price per share of $15.00. See “Use of Proceeds.”

We expect that cash flows generated from the net proceeds of this offering and from the Company’s investments will be sufficient to sustain the Company’s operations for a period of at least twenty-four months following the completion of this offering. We will not incur indebtedness on our portfolio or pay any interest during the twelve months following completion of this offering. We also will not issue any preferred stock during the twelve months following completion of this offering. In addition, to the extent that our board of directors believes it is in the best interest of the Company and our stockholders, we may conduct one or more public or private offerings of additional shares of our common stock subsequent to the completion of this offering in order to raise additional capital for investment and for general working capital purposes, although we have no present plans to do so during the twelve months immediately following completion of this offering.

Distribution Policy

The timing and amount of our dividends, if any, will be determined by our board of directors. Any dividends to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution. We intend to focus on making capital gains-based investments. As such, we do not anticipate that we will pay dividends on a quarterly basis or become a predictable issuer of dividends, and we expect that our dividends, if any, will be much less consistent than other business development companies that primarily make debt investments. However, to the extent there are earnings or realized capital gains to be distributed, we intend to declare and pay a dividend at least annually.

We intend to elect to be treated, and intend to qualify annually thereafter, as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, beginning with our 2011 taxable year. To obtain and maintain RIC tax treatment, we must, among other things, distribute at least 90% of our ordinary income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses, if any. In order to avoid certain excise taxes imposed on RICs, we currently intend to distribute during each calendar year an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gains in excess of capital losses for the one-year period ending on October 31 of the calendar year and (3) any ordinary income and net capital gains for preceding years that were not distributed during such years. In addition, although we currently intend to distribute realized net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually, we may in the future decide to retain such capital gains for investment. If this happens, you will be treated as if you received an actual distribution of the capital gains we retain and reinvested the net after-tax proceeds in us. You also may be eligible to claim a tax credit (or, in certain circumstances, a tax refund) equal to your allocable share of the tax we paid on the capital gains deemed distributed to you. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations.” There is no assurance that we will achieve results that will permit the payment of any cash distributions and, to the extent that we issue senior securities, we will be prohibited from making distributions if doing so causes us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

Our current intention is to make any distributions in additional shares of our common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan, out of assets legally available therefor, unless you elect to receive your dividends and/or long-term capital gains distributions in cash. Under the dividend reinvestment plan, if a U.S. stockholder owns shares of common stock registered in its own name, the U.S. stockholder will have all cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of common stock unless the U.S. stockholder opts out of our dividend reinvestment plan by delivering a written notice to our dividend paying agent prior to the record date of the next dividend or distribution. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.” Any distributions reinvested under the plan will nevertheless remain taxable to the U.S. stockholder. If you hold shares in the name of a broker or financial intermediary, you should contact the broker or financial intermediary regarding your election to receive distributions in cash.

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Contractual Obligations

We have entered into two contracts under which we have material future commitments, the Investment Advisory Agreement, pursuant to which NeXt Asset Management has agreed to serve as our investment adviser, and the Administration Agreement, pursuant to which NeXt Innovation Service Company has agreed to furnish us with the facilities and administrative services necessary to conduct our day-to-day operations. Payments under the Investment Advisory Agreement in future periods will be equal to (1) a percentage of the value of our gross assets and (2) an incentive fee based on NeXt Innovation’s performance. Payments under the Administration Agreement will be based upon our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and any administrative support personnel. See “Investment Advisory Agreement” and “Administration Agreement.” For a discussion of the estimated amount of our obligations under these contracts based on a number of assumptions, see “Fees and Expenses.” Each of these contracts may be terminated by either party without penalty upon not more than 60 days’ written notice to the other.

Certain Relationships and Transactions

We have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with NeXt Asset Management. NeXt Asset Management is controlled by Michael T. Moe, our president, chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors, Stephen D. Bard, our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary, and Luben Pampoulov, our vice-president. Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, as principals of NeXt Asset Management, collectively manage the business and internal affairs of NeXt Asset Management. Mr. Klein or entities he controls may receive fees from NeXt Asset Management in connection with this offering and, from time to time, subsequent thereto for non-investment advisory services he may provide. In addition, NeXt Innovation Service Company provides us with office facilities and administrative services pursuant to an Administration Agreement. Mr. Moe is the managing member of and controls NeXt Innovation Service Company. While there is no limit on the total amount of expenses we may be required to reimburse to NeXt Innovation Service Company, our administrator will only charge us for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to NeXt Innovation Service Company.

In addition, our executive officers and directors, and the principals of our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, serve or may serve as officers and directors of entities that operate in a line of business similar to our own. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. For example, NeXt Asset Management currently manages NeXt X Fund, a global long/short absolute return fund.

While the investment focus of each of these entities tends to be different from our investment objective, it is possible that new investment opportunities that meet our investment objective may come to the attention of one of these entities in connection with another investment advisory client or program, and, if so, such opportunity might not be offered, or otherwise made available, to us. However, our executive officers, directors and investment adviser intend to treat us in a fair and equitable manner consistent with their applicable duties under law so that we will not be disadvantaged in relation to any other particular client. In addition, NeXt Asset Management does not anticipate that it will ordinarily identify investment opportunities that are appropriate for both NeXt Innovation and the other funds that are currently or in the future may be managed by NeXt Asset Management. However, to the extent it does identify such opportunities, NeXt Asset Management will allocate such opportunities between NeXt Innovation and such other funds pursuant to an established procedure that is designed to ensure that such allocation is fair and equitable. Our board of directors will monitor on a quarterly basis any such allocation of investment opportunities between NeXt Innovation and any such other funds.

In the ordinary course of business, we may enter into transactions with portfolio companies that may be considered related party transactions. In order to ensure that we do not engage in any prohibited transactions with any persons affiliated with us, we have implemented certain written policies and procedures whereby our executive officers screen each of our transactions for any possible affiliations between the proposed portfolio investment, us, companies controlled by us and our executive officers and directors. We will not enter into any agreements unless and until we are satisfied that doing so will not raise concerns under the 1940 Act or, if such

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concerns exist, we have taken appropriate actions to seek board review and approval or exemptive relief for such transaction. Our board of directors will review these procedures on an annual basis.

We have also adopted a Code of Ethics which applies to, among others, our senior officers, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as well as all of our officers, directors and employees. Our officers and directors also remain subject to the fiduciary obligations imposed by both the 1940 Act and applicable state corporate law. Our Code of Ethics requires that all employees and directors avoid any conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, between an individual’s personal interests and our interests. Pursuant to our Code of Ethics, each employee and director must disclose any conflicts of interest, or actions or relationships that might give rise to a conflict, to our chief compliance officer. Our Audit Committee is charged with approving any waivers under our Code of Ethics. As required by the NASDAQ corporate governance listing standards, the Audit Committee of our board of directors is also required to review and approve any transactions with related parties (as such term is defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K).

Finally, we will pay NeXt Innovation Service Company our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including a portion of the rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and any administrative support personnel, which creates conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor. We estimate that we will incur approximately $1.5 million in aggregate expenses under our Administration Agreement during our first twelve months of operations following completion of this offering.

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BUSINESS

NeXt Innovation

We are a newly formed, externally managed non-diversified closed-end management investment company that intends to elect to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act prior to the pricing of this offering. Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio’s total return, principally by seeking capital gains on our equity investments. We intend to invest principally in the equity securities of venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies. We may also invest on an opportunistic basis in select publicly-traded equity securities of rapidly growing companies that otherwise meet our investment criteria. In addition, while we intend to invest primarily in U.S. companies, we may invest on an opportunistic basis in certain non-U.S. companies, including those located in emerging markets, that otherwise meet out investment criteria, although in no event will the aggregate value of our non-U.S. investments exceed 30% of the aggregate value of our total investment portfolio. We intend to acquire our investments primarily through private secondary market transactions and, to a lesser extent, through transactions executed on public securities exchanges and direct investments in our portfolio companies. Our investment activities will be managed by NeXt Asset Management. NeXt Innovation Service Company will provide the administrative services necessary for us to operate.

We will seek to deploy capital primarily in the form of equity and equity-related investments, including common stock, warrants, preferred stock and similar forms of senior equity, which may or may not be convertible into a portfolio company’s common equity, and convertible debt securities with a high equity component. We will seek primarily minority equity investments in our portfolio companies. We anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds of this offering will be used for the above purposes within six to twelve months, depending on the availability of investment opportunities that are consistent with our investment objectives and market conditions.

We will seek to create a low-turnover, relatively diversified portfolio that we expect will initially include investments in 15 to 30 companies. We expect that total number of portfolio companies in which we are invested will increase as our equity capital base grows subsequent to completion of this offering, including to the extent we conduct follow-on equity offerings. Our investment adviser’s investment decisions will be based on an extensive analysis of each potential portfolio company’s business operations supported by an in-depth understanding of key fundamentals such as growth potential, the quality of recurring revenues and cash flow, variability of costs and the inherent value of a prospective portfolio company’s assets, including proprietary intangible assets and intellectual property. We expect that many of the companies that our investment advisor will evaluate will have financial backing provided by top tier private equity or venture capital funds or other financial or strategic sponsors at the time we make an investment.

About NeXt Asset Management

Our investment activities are managed by NeXt Asset Management, an investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act. NeXt Asset Management is led by Michael T. Moe, our president, chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors. Mr. Moe co-founded and previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of ThinkEquity Partners, an asset management and investment banking firm focusing on venture capital, entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies. Prior to founding ThinkEquity, Mr. Moe served as Head of Global Growth Research at Merrill Lynch and before that served as Head of Growth Research and Strategy at Montgomery Securities. Mr. Moe has written extensively about investing in the emerging growth equity markets and his book, “Finding the Next Starbucks,” has gone through three printings in five languages. Mr. Moe’s book articulates his investment process and philosophy which have been refined over more than two decades in the investment community.

Mr. Moe is assisted by Stephen D. Bard, our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary and Luben Pampoulov, our vice-president, whom we refer to collectively as NeXt Asset Management’s senior investment professionals. Each of Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov is a principal of NeXt Asset Management. We expect to benefit from the proven ability of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and its Advisory Board to identify attractive investment opportunities, conduct diligence on and value prospective investments, negotiate terms, and manage and monitor a diversified portfolio of those investments. See “Portfolio Management – Advisory Board to NeXt Asset Management.”

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Our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and Advisory Board members have broad investment backgrounds, with prior experience at investment banks, commercial banks, unregistered investment funds and other financial services companies, and have collectively developed a broad network of contacts to provide us with our principal source of investment opportunities.

NeXt Asset Management also intends to leverage Mr. Moe’s relationship with neXtup a joint venture arrangement between neXtup Network, LLC, a California-based financial research firm of which Mr. Moe is a member, and Candlestick Advisors Pvt. Ltd., an India-based financial research firm, to access neXtup’s proprietary research and analytical capabilities in the private company space. neXtup presently focuses on developing research and analysis regarding non-public rapidly growing companies similar to those we intend to target for investment. Since its formation in 2010, neXtup has used its proprietary research and valuation processes to evaluate over 30 emerging private companies across the internet media, green technology and education industries. We expect that our investment adviser’s access to the proprietary research developed by neXtup with respect to the types of companies in which we intend to invest will provide NeXt Asset Management with a more in-depth knowledge base with respect to our prospective investments. While we do not expect to enter into a long-term contractual arrangement with neXtup, through Mr. Moe’s relationship with neXtup, our investment adviser will have the ability to access neXtup’s proprietary research on an as-needed basis without limitation, subject to the payment of customary fees by our investment adviser to neXtup for the use of its resources. Any costs associated with accessing neXtup’s research capabilities will be borne by our investment adviser, without reimbursement from us.

We will pay NeXt Asset Management a fee for its services under the Investment Advisory Agreement consisting of two components — a base management fee and an incentive fee. The base management fee is calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of our gross assets, which includes any borrowings for investment purposes. The incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date), commencing on December 31, 2011, and will equal the lesser of (i) 20% of our realized capital gains during such calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and (ii) 20% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.” Although we will not incur debt or use leverage during the first 12 months following completion of this offering, because our management fee is based on our gross assets, including issuances of preferred stock and borrowings for investment purposes, rather than our net assets, there may an incentive for our investment adviser to utilize leverage in the future. We will be required, however, to obtain the approval of our board of directors before we incur any future indebtedness.

Business Strategy

Our investment objective is to maximize our portfolio’s total return, principally by seeking capital gains on our equity investments. We have adopted the following business strategies to achieve our investment objective:

Focus on private secondary markets.  In view of the structural changes within the IPO market over the past decade, as well as the increased compliance burden faced by public companies in recent years, private secondary markets, such as SecondMarket and SharesPost, have emerged as a viable alternative to the traditional public equity markets. While such private secondary markets do not provide the same levels of liquidity as traditional public markets, they do provide institutional investors such as NeXt Innovation with greater access to equity investments in attractive venture capital-backed, rapidly growing non-public companies without the corresponding costs associated with structuring privately negotiated investments. Such markets may also provide a ready avenue to dispose of equity investments in privately-held companies when appropriate, as well as a more reliable means of determining the value of such equity investments.

We intend to utilize such private secondary markets as a principal means to acquire equity investments in privately-held companies that meet our investment criteria and that are attractive candidates for investment. We expect that our primary focus on private secondary market investments will allow us to more quickly invest in attractive portfolio companies that meet our investment

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criteria as opposed to negotiating direct investments in such portfolio companies. In addition, we expect that investing in portfolio companies that have established trading patterns on such private secondary markets will provide us with a more ready source of liquidity for our investments compared to traditional direct equity investments in private companies.

In addition, as the secondary private markets are generally only available to accredited investors, we expect that we will face less pricing pressure for attractive equity investments than we would if we invested through public securities exchanges. We expect that our access to detailed research on emerging private companies, including through our investment adviser’s relationship with neXtup, will allow us to better evaluate potential investments in such secondary private markets than many of the other participants in those markets. In general, investors that acquire securities through private secondary market transactions have little or no direct access to financial or other information from the private companies in which they invest. While we will also lack direct access to such financial and other information regarding prospective portfolio companies that trade on private secondary markets, we intend to utilize the relationships and contacts of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board members and our board of directors, along with the proprietary research and analytical capabilities of neXtup, to obtain the information necessary for our investment adviser to perform its research and due diligence process on each prospective portfolio company we intend to invest in through a private secondary market transaction. Many accredited investors that lack institutional backing will likely not have access to the same level or depth of information regarding the private companies in which we intend to invest, which we expect will provide us with an advantage in locating potential investments at attractive prices.

Focus on direct equity investments.  Although we intend to primarily utilize private secondary market transactions to acquire our investments, we also intend to invest directly in certain of our portfolio companies from time to time. There is a large, underserved market among venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies for equity capital investments. Many of these companies, particularly within the technology-related sector, lack the necessary cash flows to sustain substantial amounts of debt, and therefore have viewed equity capital as a more attractive long-term financing tool. As a result, growing privately held companies have historically relied upon the IPO market to raise additional equity capital.

However, over the past decade, the IPO markets have experienced substantial structural changes which have made it significantly more challenging for private companies to go public. In addition, the added compliance obligations associated with operating a public company, including those imposed under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, have made IPOs a less attractive alternative for smaller privately held companies. As a result, there are dramatically fewer IPOs today than there were a decade ago, with prospective public companies taking longer to come to market and potential IPO candidates being required to have much larger market capitalizations. For example, from 1991-2000, there were 5,330 IPOS in the United States, of which 2,728 were venture-capital backed. From 2001-2010, there were 1,280 IPOS, of which 422 were venture-capital backed.

These factors are conspiring to make it difficult for private companies to gain access to public markets and the corresponding liquidity and equity capital such companies need to continue to grow. As a result, we expect that there is significant untapped demand for equity capital investments among attractive venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies, particularly within the technology-related sector. We intend to serve this market by providing equity capital to venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging companies that meet our investment criteria, but that lack the size required to sustain a successful IPO. In connection with such direct investments, we will also seek to partner with other private equity and venture capital investors with whom our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, Advisory Board members and our board of directors have established relationships. We expect that these relationships within the private equity and venture capital community will provide us with access to attractive direct investment opportunities.

Emphasis on minority equity positions.  Unlike many providers of private equity capital, we intend to seek primarily minority equity positions in our portfolio companies, including when we make direct

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investments in such companies. We expect this approach will make us more attractive to prospective portfolio companies in which we may make direct investments that may be unwilling or unable, due to their current capital structure, to cede actual or effective control to a new equity investor.
Emphasis on building a more diverse investment portfolio.  Unlike traditional private equity funds that often acquire substantial equity positions in a relatively small number of privately-held companies, we intend to acquire primarily minority positions in our portfolio companies. As a result, we will seek to hold a more diverse portfolio of equity investments than a traditional private equity fund, although we do not intend to operate as a diversified fund within the meaning of the 1940 Act. We expect this approach will allow us to minimize the impact on our overall portfolio of a negative downturn at any one specific portfolio company.
Focus on providing individual investors with access to portfolio of previously inaccessible investments.  We expect that our focus on providing a more diverse portfolio of equity investments than a traditional private equity fund, while investing in attractive venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies will provide individual investors with access to an asset class that has previously been limited to venture capital, private equity and similar large institutional investors. In addition, while accredited individual investors have had limited access to select investments in private companies, including through private secondary markets, our portfolio approach provides a more balanced and diversified alternative to such direct private investments.

Potential Competitive Advantages

Although none of our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals have prior experience managing a business development company, our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, the members of its Advisory Board and the members of our board of directors have experience managing private funds and researching and investing in the types of portfolio companies we intend to target for investment. In particular, we expect we will have the following potential competitive advantages over similar entities that focus on equity-based investing in privately-held companies:

Deep investment research on the leading private companies and emerging growth industries.  Our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board and our board of directors have significant experience researching and investing in the types of venture capital-backed, rapidly growing emerging non-public companies we intend to target for investment. In particular, Michael T. Moe, our president, chief executive officer, chairman of our board of directors and the chief investment officer of NeXt Asset Management, co-founded and previously served as chairman and chief executive officer of ThinkEquity Partners, an asset management and investment banking firm focusing on venture capital, entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies. Prior to founding ThinkEquity, Mr. Moe served as Head of Global Growth Research at Merrill Lynch and before that served as Head of Growth Research and Strategy at Montgomery Securities. Since 2006, our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals have managed private funds that have invested in, and have published research on, the types of privately-held companies we intend to target for investment.

Our investment adviser will also have access to the extensive proprietary research developed by neXtup with respect to the types of companies in which we intend to invest. In particular, neXtup has used its proprietary research process to evaluate over 30 emerging private companies across the internet media, green technology and education industries. We expect this available knowledge and depth of experience will provide us with a potential competitive advantage over similar equity investors in both locating and acquiring attractive equity investments in portfolio companies that meet our investment criteria.

Detailed, transparent and repeatable investment process.  Over the course of more than two decades of investing in privately-held companies, Mr. Moe and our investment adviser’s other senior investment professionals have developed a detailed investment process for seeking attractive equity investments in such companies, although the investment process has not previously been implemented in the context of a business development company. Our proprietary investment process can be distilled to “the four Ps,” which are people (a critical component to successful investing is

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evaluating the people running the company), product (great growth companies are leaders in what they do), potential (it is essential to invest in companies that seize a huge market potential) and predictability (a challenge for young, fast-growing companies is delivering operating results that are predictable). These are the core elements we consider when identifying and investing in rapidly growing emerging companies. NeXt Asset Management intends to utilize this investment process to identify and evaluate prospective portfolio companies in which we may make equity investments. We expect that utilizing an investment process that has been developed and refined over the course of two decades, including through both positive and negative economic environments, will provide us with a potential competitive advantage in locating attractive equity investments for our portfolio, although the investment process has not previously been implemented in the context of a business development company.
Established proprietary deal sourcing network.  NeXt Asset Management and its senior investment professionals, Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov are strategically located in the heart of Silicon Valley in Woodside, California. During the course of over two decades of researching and investing in privately-held companies in the Silicon Valley area, our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals have developed strong reputations within the investing community, particularly within technology-related sectors. Our investment adviser’s Advisory Board members and our board of directors have also developed strong relationships in the financial, investing and technology-related sectors. As a result, we expect that we will have access to extensive contacts and sources from which to generate potential investment opportunities. These contacts and sources include private equity and venture capital funds, public and private companies, investment bankers, attorneys, accountants and commercial bankers. We expect the strong reputation of our senior investment professionals, its Advisory Board members and the members of our board of directors, as well as their extensive contacts within the investing community, will provide us with a potential competitive advantage in generating deal flow and attractive prospective investments.

Investment Process

Idea Generation

Our investment adviser’s investment process will begin with the identification of prospective portfolio companies through the proprietary network of contacts and relationships developed by our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals through over two decades of researching and investing in privately-held companies, particularly within the Silicon Valley area. There efforts will be supplemented by the knowledge, expertise and relationships of our investment adviser’s Advisory Board and our board of directors, as well as through the research capabilities of neXtup to which our investment adviser will have access. We intend to focus our efforts primarily on locating attractive prospective portfolio companies that currently trade on a private secondary market, but we expect to also utilize our investment adviser’s relationships and connections to locate direct investment opportunities in private companies that meet our investment criteria. While we intend to invest in equity securities of portfolio companies that operate in a broad range of industries, we expect that many of our portfolio companies will operate in the technology-related sectors where our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and Advisory Board members have particular expertise and substantial contacts. We will also seek to identify attractive publicly-traded companies that meet our investment criteria.

Research and Due Diligence Process

Subsequent to the strategic, top-down idea generation process, our investment adviser will perform a rigorous bottom-up evaluation of each prospective portfolio companies fundamentals. In particular, our investment adviser will focus its research on vetting each prospective portfolio company for the quality and sustainability of its revenues and ultimately earnings growth, given the high correlation between a company’s earnings growth and its valuation over time. Our investment adviser will also perform due diligence on each prospective portfolio company, with a focus on the company’s management team and any significant existing financial sponsor, its current business model and competitive position within the industry in which it operates, any regulatory or legal issues affecting the company, and the viability and uniqueness of any intellectual property or technology that the company utilizes in its operations. Each prospective portfolio company which

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passes our investment adviser’s due diligence review and which demonstrates the prospect of sustainable significant earnings growth will then be given a qualitative ranking to evaluate it versus other prospective portfolio companies that are currently in our portfolio or in which we are considering an investment.

We expect that our research and due diligence process will necessarily vary depending upon whether we intend to invest in a portfolio company through a private secondary market transaction or through a direct equity investment. In cases where we expect to invest through a secondary market transaction, we will generally not have direct access to information from the prospective portfolio company for our research and due diligence review. In such cases, we expect our investment adviser to utilize the proprietary research and analytical capabilities of neXtup, as well as other information that our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and Advisory Board members may be able generate through their relationships, to provide us with the information necessary to perform a rigorous review of the prospective portfolio company. Where we expect to make a direct investment in a portfolio company, our investment adviser will generally have access to information provided by that prospective portfolio company with which to perform its research and due diligence process.

Portfolio Construction

After completion of our investment adviser’s research and due diligence process, our investment adviser will select investments for inclusion in our portfolio based upon their relative qualitative ranking. Each portfolio company passing the rigorous screening process are then given a quantitative ranking based on its fundamentals and valuation. We will seek to create a relatively diversified portfolio that we expect will initially include investments in 15 to 30 private companies. We expect that total number of portfolio companies in which we are invested will increase as our equity capital base grows subsequent to completion of this offering., including to the extent we conduct follow on equity offerings.

Risk Management and Monitoring

Our investment adviser will monitor the financial trends of each portfolio company to assess the appropriate course of action for each company and to evaluate overall portfolio quality. Our investment adviser will closely monitor the status and performance of each individual company. In particular, our investment adviser will establish appropriate targets for valuation and stop-loss measures on the portfolio company level, and for gross and net exposures with respect to specific companies and industries within our overall portfolio. In cases where we make a direct investment in a portfolio company, we may also obtain board positions or board observation rights from that portfolio company in connection with our equity investment.

Where we lack direct access to a portfolio company’s financial information, such as when we acquire its securities through a private secondary market transaction, we expect our investment adviser to utilize the proprietary research and analytical capabilities of neXtup, as well as other information that our investment adviser’s senior investment professionals and Advisory Board members may be able generate through their relationships, to provide us with the information necessary to monitor the performance of that portfolio company. Where we have made a direct investment in a portfolio company, our investment adviser will generally have periodic access to financial and other information provided by that portfolio company with which to monitor its performance.

Managerial Assistance

As a business development company, we will be required to offer, and in some cases may provide and be paid for, significant managerial assistance to portfolio companies. This assistance typically involves monitoring the operations of portfolio companies, participating in their board and management meetings, consulting with and advising their officers and providing other organizational and financial guidance.

Competition

Our primary competitors to provide financing to venture capital-backed, rapdigly growing emerging non-public companies will include private equity and venture capital funds, other equity and non-equity based investment funds and investment banks and other sources of financing, including traditional financial services companies such as commercial banks and specialty finance companies including other business development

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companies. Many of these entities have greater financial and managerial resources than we will have. For additional information concerning the competitive risks we face, see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure.”

Employees

We will have no employees. Our day-to-day investment operations will be managed by our investment adviser. In addition, we will reimburse NeXt Innovation Service Company for an allocable portion of expenses incurred by it in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including a portion of the rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and any administrative support personnel. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.”

Properties

Our corporate headquarters are located at 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, California, in the offices of NeXt Innovation Service Company. We do not own or lease any office space directly; however, we will pay a portion of the rent as allocated to us by NeXt Innovation Service Company. Our office facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as it is presently conducted.

Legal Proceedings

We are not currently subject to any material legal proceedings, nor, to our knowledge, is any material legal proceeding threatened against us. From time to time, we may be a party to certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of business, including proceedings relating to the enforcement of our rights under contracts with our portfolio companies. While the outcome of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, we do not expect that these proceedings will have a material effect upon our financial condition or results of operations.

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MANAGEMENT

Our board of directors oversees our management. The board of directors currently consists of five members, three of whom are not “interested persons” of NeXt Innovation as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. We refer to these individuals as our independent directors. Our board of directors elects our officers, who serve at the discretion of the board of directors. The responsibilities of each director will include, among other things, the oversight of our investment activity, the quarterly valuation of our assets, and oversight of our financing arrangements. The board of directors has also established an audit committee, a nominating and corporate governance committee and a valuation committee, and may establish additional committees in the future.

Board of Directors and Executive Officers

Directors

Information regarding the board of directors is as follows:

       
Name   Age   Position   Director Since   Expiration of Term
Interested Directors                    
Michael T. Moe   48   president, chief executive officer and
  chairman of the board of directors
  2010   2012
Mark D. Klein   49   director   2011   2014
Independent Directors                    
Leonard A. Potter   49   director   2011   2013
Mark W. Flynn   54   director   2011   2012
David Spreng   49   director   2011   2014

The address for each of our directors is 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, California 94062.

Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors

   
Name   Age   Position
Paul D. Lapping   48   chief operating officer
Stephen D. Bard   51   chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and
  corporate secretary
Luben Pampoulov   30   vice-president

Biographical Information

Directors

Our directors have been divided into two groups — interested directors and independent directors. An interested director is an “interested person” as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.

Interested Directors

Mr. Moe is an “interested person” of NeXt Innovation as defined in the 1940 Act due to his positions as president, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of directors of NeXt Innovation and as a principal and chief investment officer of NeXt Asset Management, NeXt Innovation’s investment adviser. Mr. Klein is an interested person due to his employment relationship with Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and his financial relationship as a consultant with NeXt Innovation’s investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management.

Michael T. Moe has served as our president and chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors since 2010 and is primarily responsible for overall investment strategies and portfolio management. In addition, Mr. Moe has served as co-founder, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of NeXt Asset Management since 2010. Mr. Moe also founded neXtup, a research firm focused on non-public rapidly-growing companies, in 2009. Mr. Moe previously co-founded and served as chairman and chief executive officer of ThinkEquity Partners, an investment banking firm focusing on venture capital, entrepreneurial and emerging growth companies, from 2001 to 2008. Prior to founding ThinkEquity, Mr. Moe

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served as head of Global Growth Research at Merrill Lynch from 1998 to 2001, and before that served as head of Growth Research and Strategy at Montgomery Securities from 1995 to 1998. Mr. Moe is a past advisor for the Center for Innovation. He is also on the board of directors of SharesPost and a member of the Advisory Board of Institutional Venture Partners (IVP). In 2006, Mr. Moe published his first book, Finding the Next Starbucks: How to Identify and Invest in the Hot Stocks of Tomorrow (Penguin/Portfolio Books, 2006), which has gone through three printings and has been published in five different languages. Mr. Moe is currently a member of the board of directors of SharesPost, a private secondary market. Mr. Moe earned his BA in Political Science and Economics at the University of Minnesota. Our board of directors has concluded that Mr. Moe’s depth of experience in managerial positions in investment management, securities research and financial services, as well as his intimate knowledge of our business and operations, gives the board of directors valuable industry-specific knowledge and expertise on these and other matters, and that therefore he is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.

Mark D. Klein, has served as a member of our board of directors since 2011. Mr. Klein has been a director of New University Holdings Corp. since its inception in 2010. New University Holdings Corp. is a capital pool company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange with a principal business of identifying, evaluating and negotiating for the acquisition of assets or a business. In addition, Mr. Klein has served as the chief executive officer, president and a director of 57th Street General Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company, since 2009. Between 2007 and 2009, Mr. Klein served as the chief executive officer, president and a director of Alternative Asset Management Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition company he helped form in 2007 and which completed a merger with Great American Group LLC. From 2007 until 2008, Mr. Klein also served as the chief executive officer of Hanover Group US LLC, an indirect US subsidiary of the Hanover Group. Prior to joining Hanover in 2007, Mr. Klein served as chairman of Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. From March 2005 to September 2006, he was chief executive officer and president of Ladenburg Thalmann Financial Services, Inc., the parent of Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., and chief executive officer of Ladenburg Thalmann Asset Management Inc., a subsidiary of Ladenburg Financial Services, Inc. Prior to joining Ladenburg Thalmann, from June 2000 to March 2005, Mr. Klein served as the chief executive officer and president of NBGI Asset Management, Inc. and NBGI Securities, which were the US subsidiaries of the National Bank of Greece. Mr. Klein has been a registered representative at Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. since 2005, and a portfolio manager of the LTAM Titan Fund, a fund of funds hedge fund, since 2004. Mr. Klein is the owner and principal of The Klein Group, LLC. Mr. Klein is a graduate of the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, with a Masters of Management Degree, and also received a Bachelors of Business Administration Degree with high distinction from Emory University. Our board of directors has concluded that Mr. Klein’s extensive familiarity with the financial and investment banking industries and experience as a director of other publicly-traded companies, provides our board of directors with valuable insight and perspective, and that therefore he is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.

Independent Directors

The following directors are not “interested persons” of NeXt Innovation, as defined in the 1940 Act.

Leonard A. Potter has served as a member of our board of directors since 2011. Mr. Potter is currently the Chief Investment Officer of Salt Creek Hospitality, a private acquirer and owner of hospitality related assets. From December 2002 through July 2009, Mr. Potter was a Managing Director — Soros Private Equity at Soros Fund Management LLC (“SFM”) where, from May 2005 through July 2009, Mr. Potter served as co-head of the Private Equity group and a member of the Private Equity Investment Committee. From September 1998 until joining SFM in 2002, Mr. Potter was a Managing Director of Alpine Consolidated LLC, a private merchant bank, and from April 1996 through September 1998, Mr. Potter founded and served as a Managing Director of Capstone Partners LLC, a private merchant bank. Prior to founding Capstone Partners, Mr. Potter was an attorney specializing in mergers, acquisitions and corporate finance at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Mr. Potter is currently a member of the board of directors of Solar Senior Capital, Ltd. (“SUNS”), Solar Capital Ltd. (“SLRC”), each a business development company, and 57th Street General Acquisition Corp. (“SQTCW”) and has previously served as a board member of several other public companies. He also serves on the boards of three private companies, including Hilton Worldwide. Mr. Potter has a B.A. from Brandeis University and a J.D. from the Fordham University School of Law. Our board

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of directors has concluded that Mr. Potter’s experience practicing as a corporate lawyer provides valuable insight to the board of directors on regulatory and risk management issues, and that his tenure in private equity investments and service as a director of both public and private companies provides industry-specific knowledge and expertise to our board of directors, and that therefore he is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.

Mark W. Flynn has served as a member of our board of directors since 2011. Mr. Flynn has managed Trilogy Capital Partners, a Menlo Park California based private investment firm, since its formation in 1997. Prior to forming Trilogy, Mr. Flynn worked in various capacities in the investment banking groups at Salomon Brothers and Volpe, Brown & Whelan. During his investment-banking career Mr. Flynn primarily worked with technology and health care companies. At Salomon Brothers, he was responsible for the Global Software and Internet investment banking activities. Previously Mr. Flynn worked for Arthur Young and Company in the High Technology practice. Mr. Flynn previously served as a regent at St. John’s University and as chairman of The Preserve Company. He is also a member of the board of directors of the DAPER Fund at Stanford University as well as a number of privately held companies. He is a graduate of Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. Our board of directors has concluded that Mr. Flynn’s extensive familiarity with the financial and investment management industries and experience evaluating technology-related companies provides our board of directors with valuable insight and perspective, and that therefore he is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.

David Spreng has served as a member of our board of directors since 2011. Mr. Spreng is the founder and has served as managing general partner of Crescendo Ventures, a venture capital firm, since its formation in 1998. Mr. Spreng has been active in the formation and development of nearly 50 technology companies, 17 of which have completed initial public offerings. Mr. Spreng has been a participant and a panelist at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, and is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneers selection committee and on the World Economic Forum’s Steering Committee for Entrepreneurship and Successful Growth Strategies. Mr. Spreng also presently sits on the Advisory Board of the Silicon Valley Executive Network, is a member of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and previously served as a member of the board of, and chairman of the Government Affairs Committee of, the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). Mr. Spreng currently serves on the board of directors of a number of private technology-focused companies. In addition, Mr. Spreng previously served on the board of directors of Compellent Technologies, a publicly-traded provider of enterprise-class network solutions, from 2006 to 2011, prior to its acquisition by Dell. Mr. Spreng has previously been named as a defendant in several cases arising out of his service as a member of the board of directors of three public companies, including Compellent Technologies. On April 14, 2010, a purported securities class action lawsuit was commenced in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, naming as defendants Compellent Technologies and certain of its executive officers and directors. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Exchange Act in connection with the Compellent Technologies’ alleged failure to disclose material adverse facts about its financial condition. Mr. Spreng is a graduate, with distinction, of the University of Minnesota. Our board of directors has concluded that Mr. Spreng’s extensive familiarity with the venture capital industry and experience as a director of other publicly traded companies, provides our board of directors with valuable insight and perspective, and that therefore he is qualified to serve as a member of our board of directors.

Executive Officers Who Are Not Directors

Paul D. Lapping has served as our chief operating officer since 2011. Mr. Lapping has been a director and chief financial officer of New University Holdings Corp. since its inception in 2010. New University Holdings Corp. is a capital pool company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and its principle business is the identification, evaluation and negotiation for the acquisition of assets or businesses. Mr. Lapping has also served as the chief financial officer, treasurer, secretary and a director of 57th Street General Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company, since its inception in 2009. Between 2007 and 2009, Mr. Lapping served as the chief financial officer, treasurer and secretary of Alternative Asset Management Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company which completed a merger with Great American Group LLC. From 2003 to 2006, Mr. Lapping served as the president of Lapping Investments, LLC, a personal investment fund. From 2000 to 2003, Mr. Lapping served as a general partner of Minotaur Partners II, L.P., a private investment partnership Mr. Lapping formed to invest equity in small and middle-market companies. From 1995 to 2002,

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Mr. Lapping was a general partner of Merchant Partners, LP, a private investment partnership focused on direct marketing, business and consumer services companies. Prior to joining Merchant Partners, Mr. Lapping served in various corporate development roles with Montgomery Ward Holding Corp., a retail, catalog, direct marketing and home shopping company, from 1991 to 1995 and Farley Industries, Inc., a management company providing services to Farley Inc., a private investment fund holding company, and its related entities including Fruit of the Loom, Inc., Farley Metals, Inc., Acme Boot Company and West Point-Pepperell, Inc., from 1988 to 1981. Mr. Lapping also served in various positions with Golder, Thoma and Cressey, a private equity firm, from 1986 to 1988 and with the merger and acquisition group of Salomon Brothers Inc. from 1984 to 1986. Mr. Lapping has been a member of the board of directors of 57th Street General Acquisition Corp. since October 2009. Mr. Lapping received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois and a Masters of Management Degree from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.

Stephen D. Bard has served as our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary since 2011. In addition, Mr. Bard has served as a principal and managing member of NeXt Asset Management since 2010. Mr. Bard co-founded NeXt Asset Management in 2010, and he is the firm’s chief operating officer. From 2001 to 2009, Mr. Bard served as chief operating officer and a member of the board of directors of Fuller & Thaler Asset Management (“Fuller & Thaler”), an institutional investment firm. As chief operating officer of Fuller & Thaler, Mr. Bard built out and managed the firm’s non-investment team and infrastructure. From 1998 to 2001, Mr. Bard managed the West Coast for Fidelity Management Trust Company (now Pyramis Global Advisors). Mr. Bard has also held senior consultant and business development roles at Hewitt Associates from 1988 to 1996 and New York Life Investment Management from 1996 to 1998. Mr. Bard is currently a trustee of the Crystal Springs Uplands School and a board member of the CFA Society of San Francisco, where he chairs the Investment Committee. Mr. Bard’s other board and committee service includes work with Purisima West Funds, the Hillsborough Schools Foundation, The Olympic Club Investment & Endowment Committee and Blue Chip Exec. Mr. Bard earned his BS from Duke University and his MBA from the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Bard is also a CFA charter holder.

Luben Pampoulov has served as our vice-president since 2011. In addition, Mr. Pampoulov has served as co-founder and co-portfolio manager of NeXt Asset Management since 2010. Mr. Pampoulov also co-founded neXtup, a research firm focused on non-public rapidly-growing companies, in 2009. Prior to joining NeXt Asset Management, Mr. Pampoulov served as an analyst and co-portfolio manager at ThinkEquity Partners from 2006 to 2009. Mr. Pampoulov earned his BA from UCLA in 2006.

Board Leadership Structure

Our board of directors monitors and performs an oversight role with respect to the business and affairs of NeXt Innovation, including with respect to investment practices and performance, compliance with regulatory requirements and the services, expenses and performance of service providers to NeXt Innovation. Among other things, our board of directors approves the appointment of our investment adviser and officers, reviews and monitors the services and activities performed by our investment adviser and executive officers and approves the engagement, and reviews the performance of, our independent public accounting firm.

Under NeXt Innovation’s bylaws, our board of directors may designate a chairman to preside over the meetings of the board of directors and meetings of the stockholders and to perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the board. We do not have a fixed policy as to whether the chairman of the board should be an independent director and believe that we should maintain the flexibility to select the chairman and reorganize the leadership structure, from time to time, based on the criteria that is in the best interests of NeXt Innovation and its stockholders at such times.

Presently, Mr. Moe serves as the chairman of our board of directors. Mr. Moe is an “interested person” of NeXt Innovation as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act because he is on the investment committee of our investment adviser and is co-founder, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of our investment adviser and the managing member of our administrator. Mr. Moe’s history with the NeXt Asset Management, familiarity with NeXt Asset Management’s investment platform, and extensive knowledge of the financial services industry and the investment valuation process in particular qualify him to serve as the chairman of our board of directors. Our view is that NeXt Innovation is best served through this existing leadership structure,

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as Mr. Moe’s relationship with NeXt Innovation’s investment adviser provides an effective bridge and encourages an open dialogue between management and the board of directors, ensuring that both groups act with a common purpose.

Our board of directors does not currently have a designated lead independent director. We are aware of the potential conflicts that may arise when a non-independent director is chairman of the board, but believe these potential conflicts are offset by our strong corporate governance policies. Our corporate governance policies include regular meetings of the independent directors in executive session without the presence of interested directors and management, the establishment of audit, valuation and nominating and corporate governance committees comprised solely of independent directors and the appointment of a chief compliance officer, with whom the independent directors meet regularly without the presence of interested directors and other members of management, for administering our compliance policies and procedures.

We recognize that different board leadership structures are appropriate for companies in different situations. We intend to re-examine our corporate governance policies on an ongoing basis to ensure that they continue to meet NeXt Innovation’s needs.

Board’s Role In Risk Oversight

Our board of directors performs its risk oversight function primarily through (a) its three standing committees, which report to the entire board of directors and are comprised solely of independent directors, and (b) active monitoring of our chief compliance officer and our compliance policies and procedures.

As described below in more detail under “Committees of the Board of Directors,” the audit committee, the nominating and corporate governance committee and the valuation committee assist the board of directors in fulfilling its risk oversight responsibilities. The audit committee’s risk oversight responsibilities include overseeing NeXt Innovation’s accounting and financial reporting processes, NeXt Innovation’s systems of internal controls regarding finance and accounting, and audits of NeXt Innovation’s financial statements. The nominating and corporate governance committee’s risk oversight responsibilities include selecting, researching and nominating directors for election by our stockholders, developing and recommending to the board a set of corporate governance principles and overseeing the evaluation of the board and our management. The valuation committee’s risk oversight responsibilities include establishing guidelines and making recommendations to our board of directors regarding the valuation of our investments.

Our board of directors also performs its risk oversight responsibilities with the assistance of the chief compliance officer. The board of directors will annually review a written report from the chief compliance officer discussing the adequacy and effectiveness of the compliance policies and procedures of NeXt Innovation and its service providers. The chief compliance officer’s annual report will address, at a minimum, (a) the operation of the compliance policies and procedures of NeXt Innovation and its service providers since the last report; (b) any material changes to such policies and procedures since the last report; (c) any recommendations for material changes to such policies and procedures as a result of the chief compliance officer’s annual review; and (d) any compliance matter that has occurred since the date of the last report about which the board of directors would reasonably need to know to oversee our compliance activities and risks. In addition, the chief compliance officer will meet separately in executive session with the independent directors at least once each year.

Our board’s role in risk oversight is effective, and appropriate given the extensive regulation to which we are already subject as a business development company. As a business development company, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements that control the levels of risk in our business and operations. For example, our ability to incur indebtedness is limited such that our asset coverage must equal at least 200% immediately after each time we incur indebtedness, we generally have to invest at least 70% of our gross assets in “qualifying assets” and we are not generally permitted to invest in any portfolio company in which one of our affiliates currently has an investment.

We recognize that different board roles in risk oversight are appropriate for companies in different situations. We intend to re-examine the manners in which the board administers its oversight function on an ongoing basis to ensure that they continue to meet NeXt Innovation’s needs.

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Committees of the Board of Directors

An audit committee, a nominating and corporate governance committee and a valuation committee have been established by our board of directors. All directors are expected to attend at least 75% of the aggregate number of meetings of the board of directors and of the respective committees on which they serve. We require each director to make a diligent effort to attend all board and committee meetings as well as each annual meeting of our stockholders.

Audit Committee

The audit committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our board of directors, which sets forth the responsibilities of the audit committee. The audit committee’s responsibilities include selecting the independent registered public accounting firm for NeXt Innovation, reviewing with such independent registered public accounting firm the planning, scope and results of their audit of NeXt Innovation’s financial statements, pre-approving the fees for services performed, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the adequacy of internal control systems, reviewing NeXt Innovation’s annual financial statements and periodic filings and receiving NeXt Innovation’s audit reports and financial statements. The audit committee is currently composed of Messrs. Potter, Flynn and Spreng, all of whom are considered independent under the rules of the NASDAQ Capital Market and are not “interested persons” of NeXt Innovation as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Flynn serves as chairman of the audit committee. Our board of directors has determined that Mr. Flynn is an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined under Item 407 of Regulation S-K, as promulgated under the Exchange Act. Mr. Flynn meets the current independence and experience requirements of Rule 10A-3 of the Exchange Act.

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

The nominating and corporate governance committee operates pursuant to a charter approved by our board of directors. The members of the nominating and corporate governance committee are Messrs. Potter, Flynn and Spreng, all of whom are considered independent under the rules of the NASDAQ Capital Market and are not “interested persons” of NeXt Innovation as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Potter serves as chairman of the nominating and corporate governance committee. The nominating and corporate governance committee is responsible for selecting, researching and nominating directors for election by our stockholders, selecting nominees to fill vacancies on the board of directors or a committee thereof, developing and recommending to the board of directors a set of corporate governance principles and overseeing the evaluation of the board of directors and our management. The nominating and corporate governance committee currently does not consider nominees recommended by our stockholders.

The nominating and corporate governance committee seeks candidates who possess the background, skills and expertise to make a significant contribution to the board of directors, NeXt Innovation and its stockholders. In considering possible candidates for election as a director, the nominating committee takes into account, in addition to such other factors as it deems relevant, the desirability of selecting directors who:

are of high character and integrity;
are accomplished in their respective fields, with superior credentials and recognition;
have relevant expertise and experience upon which to be able to offer advice and guidance to management;
have sufficient time available to devote to the affairs of NeXt Innovation;
are able to work with the other members of the board of directors and contribute to the success of NeXt Innovation;
can represent the long-term interests of NeXt Innovation’s stockholders as a whole; and
are selected such that the board of directors represents a range of backgrounds and experience.

The nominating and corporate governance committee has not adopted a formal policy with regard to the consideration of diversity in identifying director nominees. In determining whether to recommend a director nominee, the nominating and corporate governance committee considers and discusses diversity, among other factors, with a view toward the needs of the board of directors as a whole. The nominating and corporate

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governance committee generally conceptualizes diversity expansively to include, without limitation, concepts such as race, gender, national origin, differences of viewpoint, professional experience, education, skill and other qualities that contribute to the board of directors, when identifying and recommending director nominees. The nominating and corporate governance committee believes that the inclusion of diversity as one of many factors considered in selecting director nominees is consistent with the nominating and corporate governance committee’s goal of creating a board of directors that best serves the needs of NeXt Innovation and the interests of its shareholders.

Valuation Committee

The valuation committee establishes guidelines and makes recommendations to our board of directors regarding the valuation of our investments. The board of directors and valuation committee utilize the services of nationally recognized third-party valuation firms to help determine the fair value of our securities that are not publicly traded and for which there are no readily available market quotations including securities, that while listed on a private securities exchange, have not actively traded. The valuation committee is presently composed of Messrs. Potter, Flynn and Spreng, all of whom are considered independent under the rules of the NASDAQ Capital Market and are not “interested persons” of NeXt Innovation as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Mr. Spreng serves as chairman of the valuation committee.

Compensation Committee

We do not have a compensation committee because our executive officers do not receive any direct compensation from us.

Compensation of Directors

Our independent directors will receive an annual fee of $50,000. They will also receive reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with attending each board and committee meeting attended in person. In addition, the chairman of the audit committee will receive an annual fee of $10,000 and each chairman of any other committee will receive an annual fee of $5,000 for their additional services, if any, in these capacities. No compensation is expected to be paid to directors who are “interested persons” of NeXt Innovation, as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act.

Compensation of Executive Officers

None of our officers receives direct compensation from NeXt Inovation. However, Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, through their financial interests in NeXt Asset Management, will be entitled to a portion of any investment advisory fees paid by NeXt Innovation to NeXt Asset Management under the Investment Advisory Agreement. Stephen D. Bard, our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary, will be paid by NeXt Innovation Service Company, subject to reimbursement by us of our allocable portion of such compensation for services rendered by such persons to NeXt Innovation under the Administration Agreement. To the extent that NeXt Innovation Service Company outsources any of its functions we will pay the fees associated with such functions on a direct basis without profit to NeXt Innovation Service Company. The Investment Advisory Agreement will be reapproved within two years of its effective date, and thereafter on an annual basis, by our board of directors, including a majority of our directors who are not parties to such agreement or who are not “interested persons” of any such party, as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the 1940 Act. Under Section 2(a)(19), interested persons generally include, among others, our investment adviser, any principal underwriter to us, and any affiliates thereof, as well as any partner or employee of our legal counsel, and any person who has engaged in portfolio transactions for us, or who has loaned us money or property within the previous six months. See “Investment Advisory Agreement.”

Indemnification Agreements

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors. The indemnification agreements are intended to provide our directors the maximum indemnification permitted under Maryland law and the 1940 Act. Each indemnification agreement provides that NeXt Innovation shall indemnify the director who is a party to the agreement (an “Indemnitee”), including the advancement of legal expenses, if, by reason of his or her corporate status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and the 1940 Act.

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PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

The management of our investment portfolio is the responsibility of our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, and its investment committee, composed of Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov. For more information regarding the business experience of Messrs. Moe, Bard or Pampoulov, see “Management — Board of Directors and Executive Officers.” NeXt Asset Management’s investment committee must approve each new investment that we make. Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov are not employed by us, and receive no compensation from us in connection with their portfolio management activities. However, Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, through their financial interests in NeXt Asset Management, will be entitled to a portion of any investment advisory fees paid by NeXt Innovation to NeXt Asset Management.

Investment Personnel

Our investment adviser is led by Michael T. Moe, our president and chief executive officer, chairman of our board of directors and co-founder, chief executive officer and chief investment officer of NeXt Asset Management, Stephen D. Bard, our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary and co-founder and chief operating officer of NeXt Asset Management, and Luben Pampoulov, our vice-president and co-founder and co-portfolio manager of NeXt Asset Management. Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov are assisted by Paul Lapping, our chief operating officer. We consider Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, who are the members of our investment adviser’s investment committee, to be our portfolio managers.

Our portfolio managers are currently providing management and advisory services to the following entities:

     
Name   Entity   Investment Focus   Total Assets(1)
NeXt X Fund     private fund       global long/short absolute return fund     $ 482,000  

(1) Total assets are calculated as of February 24, 2010. NeXt X Fund, which was founded in September 2009, currently remains in its incubation stage.

The table below shows the dollar range of shares of our common stock we expect to be beneficially owned by each of our portfolio managers.

 
Name of Portfolio Manager   Dollar Range of Equity Securities in NeXt Innovation(1)
Michael T. Moe   $ 1 – $10,000  
Stephen D. Bard     None  
Luben Pampoulov     None  

(1) The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in us is based on the assumed initial offering price per share of our common stock of $15.00 set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.
(2) The dollar ranges are: None, $1-$10,000, $10,001-$50,000, $50,001-$100,000, $100,001-$500,000, $500,001-$1,000,000, or Over $1,000,000.

Compensation

None of the members of NeXt Asset Management’s investment team will receive any direct compensation from us in connection with the management of our portfolio. Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, through their financial interests in NeXt Asset Management, will be entitled to a portion of any profits earned by NeXt Asset Management, which includes any fees payable to NeXt Asset Management under the terms of our Investment Advisory Agreement, less expenses incurred by NeXt Asset Management in performing its services under our Investment Advisory Agreement. The compensation paid by NeXt Asset Management to its other investment personnel will include: (i) annual base salary; (ii) annual cash bonus; (iii) portfolio-based performance award; and (iv) individual performance award and/or individual performance bonus.

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Advisory Board to NeXt Asset Management

NeXt Asset Management has access to an Advisory Board that consists of investment professionals with extensive experience within the financial, investing and technology-related sectors. None of the members of the Advisory Board will be compensated by us. Set forth below are the current members of our investment adviser’s Advisory Board.

Todd Bradley has been Executive Vice President of Personal Systems Group worldwide at Hewlett-Packard Co., since June 2005. Mr. Bradley also serves as a Member of HP’s Executive Council. He served as Chief Executive Officer of the Solutions Group of Palm Inc., since June 2002. Mr. Bradley served as the Chief Executive Officer of Palmone Inc., and also served its President since April 30, 2004 and its Advisor since 2005. He served as the President and the Chief Operating Officer of the Solutions Group since May 2002. From June 2001 to May 2002, Mr. Bradley served as an Executive Vice President and the Chief Operating Officer of the Solutions Group. From September 1998 to January 2001, Mr. Bradley held an Executive positions at Gateway Corporation, serving most recently as a Senior Vice President of Consumer and Executive Vice President of global operations. From February 1997 to September 1998, he served as the President and the Chief Executive Officer of Transport International Pool, a GE Capital Services company that is a global transportation equipment leasing and rental business. From September 1993 to February 1997, Mr. Bradley was with Dun & Bradstreet, most recently serving as the President of NCH Promotional Services, a Dun & Bradstreet subsidiary. Mr. Bradley previously held various management positions within logistics, production and quality control at Federal Express Corporation and the Miller Brewing Company. He has been Director of LiveOps Inc. since January 30, 2008. He serves as Director of Challenger Capital Group, Ltd. He served as a Director of PalmOne Inc. since July 2002. Mr. Bradley also serves on the Advisory Boards the Consumer Electronics Association of America and Sonic Wall Corporation. He serves as a Trustee of the American Film Institute. He is a member of the Maryland University’s Board of Visitors. Mr. Bradley holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Towson State University.

William V. Campbell has been a director of Intuit since 1994 and chairman of its board since 1998. Mr. Campbell served as Intuit’s president and chief executive officer from 1994 to 1998 and was acting chief executive officer from 1999 to 2000. Mr. Campbell has been a member of the board of directors of Apple, Inc., since 1997, where he presently co-chairs the audit committee. For the three years before joining Intuit, Mr. Campbell was the president and chief executive officer of GO Corp., a pen-based computing software company. Previously, he founded and served as president and chief executive officer of Claris Corp., which was purchased by Apple Computer Inc. in 1990. Mr. Campbell also serves as an advisor to Google and Twitter and is a past advisor to Amazon. Before entering the technology industry, Campbell was the head football coach at Columbia University for six years, and has been chairman of Columbia University’s board of trustees since 2005. He is also a director of the National Football Foundation / College Football Hall of Fame. Mr. Campbell holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Masters of Science from Columbia University.

Robert E. Grady is a Managing Director and Partner at Cheyenne Capital Fund, L.P. He joined the firm in 2009 and has 17 years of experience in private equity. Prior to joining the firm, he was a Partner and Member of Management Committee of The Carlyle Group for nine years from 2000 through 2009. Mr. Grady joined Carlyle in 2000 as Global Head of Venture Capital and served as a Member of Carlyle’s Management Committee. At Carlyle, Mr. Grady served as the global coordinator of venture and growth capital (which had $5 billion in assets under management), Chairman and Fund Head of Carlyle Venture Partners I, II, and III, and on the investment committees of Carlyle Venture Partners, Carlyle Asia Growth Partners, and Carlyle Europe Technology Partners. He focused on investments in the technology and business services sectors and was based in San Francisco. Mr. Grady was the Managing Partner and Chairman of Carlyle Venture Partners. Mr. Grady is on the Board of Directors of The Carlyle Group’s portfolio companies including: Secure Elements Inc, eScreen, The Health Central Network, Choice Media, Keen.com, Panasas Inc., Verari Systems Inc., USBX Inc., Viator, Inc., Eleutian Technology, Symbio, and Wall Street Institute, as well as Maxim Integrated Products. He has been a Director of The Symbio Group since 19 August, 2008. Mr. Grady serves on the Investment Committees of CVP, Carlyle Asia Growth Partners, and Carlyle Europe Technology Partners. He is the Chairman of Resources for the Future, is a Member of Advisory Board of RBC Venture Partners and Strategic Technology Fund and the National Commission on Energy Policy, and a Trustee of Environmental Defense. He is also a Director of Stifel Financial Corp. since August 3, 2010. Mr. Grady serves on the Boards

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of Directors of the Environmental Defense Fund, TechNet, Asia America Multi-Industry Association, the Jackson Hole Land Trust, and the Pardee RAND Graduate School. He is a Member of Council on Foreign Relations. Mr. Grady was appointed by the President Mr. George Bush to be a Member of Advisory Committee on Trade and Policy Negotiations and by the Administrator of NASA to be a Member of the NASA Advisory Council’s Task Force on the cost and management of the International Space Station. Prior to this, he served in the White House from 1989 to 1993 as a Deputy Assistant to President Mr. George Bush and as an Executive Associate Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Grady received a B.A. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

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INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT

Management Services

NeXt Asset Management will serve as our investment adviser. NeXt Asset Management is registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act. Subject to the overall supervision of our board of directors, NeXt Asset Management will manage the day-to-day operations of, and provide investment advisory services to, NeXt Innovation. Under the terms of the Investment Advisory Agreement, NeXt Asset Management will:

determine the composition of our portfolio, the nature and timing of the changes to our portfolio and the manner of implementing such changes;
determine what securities we will purchase, retain or sell;
identify, evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments we make; and
close, monitor and service the investments we make.

NeXt Asset Management’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement will not be exclusive, and it is free to furnish similar services to other entities so long as its services to us are not impaired. NeXt Asset Management currently serves as the investment adviser for NeXt X Fund, a global long/short absolute return fund. NeXt Asset Management does not anticipate that it will ordinarily identify investment opportunities that are appropriate for both NeXt Innovation and the other funds that are currently or in the future may be managed by NeXt Asset Management. However, to the extent it does identify such opportunities, NeXt Asset Management will allocate such opportunities between NeXt Innovation and such other funds pursuant to an established procedure that is designed to ensure that such allocation is fair and equitable.

Management Fees

We will pay NeXt Asset Management a fee for its services under the Investment Advisory Agreement consisting of two components — a base management fee and an incentive fee. The cost of both the base management fee payable to NeXt Asset Management, and any incentive fees earned by NeXt Asset Management, will ultimately be borne by our common stockholders.

The base management fee (the “Base Fee”) will be calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of our gross assets. For the period from the close of this offering through and including December 31, 2011, the Base Fee will be payable monthly in arrears, and will be calculated based on the initial value of our assets upon the closing of this offering. For services rendered after December 31, 2011, the Base Fee will be payable monthly in arrears, and will be calculated based on the average value of our gross assets at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters, and appropriately adjusted for any equity or debt capital raises, repurchases or redemptions during the current calendar quarter. The Base Fee for any partial month or quarter will be appropriately pro rated.

The incentive fee is determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of the Investment Advisory Agreement, as of the termination date), commencing on December 31, 2011, and will equal the lesser of:

20% of our realized capital gains during such calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and
20% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees.

Our realized capital gains from each investment, expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since we initially acquired it, will be compared to a hurdle rate of 8.00% per year. We will only pay an incentive fee on any realized capital gains from an investment that exceeds the hurdle rate. We will pay NeXt Asset Management an incentive fee with respect to our realized capital gains from each investment as follows:

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No incentive fee will be payable on the amount of any realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since we initially acquired it, does not exceed the hurdle rate of 8.00% per year.
We will pay as an incentive fee 100% of the amount of any realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since we initially acquired it, exceeds the hurdle rate of 8.00% per year but is less than a rate of 10.00% per year. We refer to this portion of our realized capital gains from each investment (which exceeds the hurdle rate but is less than 10.00%) as the “catch-up.” The “catch-up” is meant to provide our investment adviser with 20% of the amount of our realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since we initially acquired it, exceeds a rate of 10.00% per year.
We will pay as an incentive fee 20% of the amount of any realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since we initially acquired it, exceeds a rate of 10.00% per year.

In no event, however, will we pay an incentive fee for any calendar year that exceeds 20% of our realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees.

The following is a graphical representation of the calculation of our incentive fee with respect to a single investment:

[GRAPHIC MISSING]

Example: Calculation of incentive fee

Alternative 1:

Assumptions

Hurdle rate = 8.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
Hurdle rate = (purchase price) × (8% × (days owned/365))
Catch-up rate = 10.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
Catch-up rate = (purchase price) × (10% × (days owned/365))
Year 1: $20,000,000 investment made on March 15 in Company A (“Investment A”), and $30,000,000 investment made on February 1 in Company B (“Investment B”)
Year 2: Investment A is sold on September 15 for $25,000,000, and fair market value (“FMV”) of Investment B is determined to be $28,000,000
Year 3: FMV of Investment B is determined to be $28,000,000
Year 4: Investment B is sold on March 1 for $38,000,000

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The incentive fee would be calculated as follows:

Year 1: None
Year 2: Incentive fee calculation:
Hurdle rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (8% × (550 days / 365))
Hurdle rate for Investment A = $2,410,959
Catch-up rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (10% × (550 days / 365)
Catch-up rate for Investment A = $3,013,699
Incentive fee on Investment A = 20% × $5,000,000 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied and the catch up has been fully achieved)
Incentive fee on Investment A = $1,000,000
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × ($5,000,000 - $2,000,000 (unrealized depreciation on Investment B))
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × $3,000,000
Maximum incentive fee = $600,000
Incentive fee paid = $600,000 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment A exceeds the maximum incentive fee, the maximum incentive fee applies)
Year 3: None
Year 4: Incentive fee calculation:
Hurdle rate for Investment B = ($30,000,000) × (8% × (1,124 days / 365))
Hurdle rate for Investment B = $7,390,685
Catch-up rate for Investment B = ($30,000,000) × (10% × (1,124 days / 365))
Catch-up rate for Investment B = $9,238,356
Incentive fee on Investment B = 100% × ($8,000,000 – $7,390,685 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied, but the catch up has not been fully achieved)
Incentive fee on Investment B = $609,315
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)
Maximum incentive fee = (20% × $13,000,000) – ($600,000 (previously paid incentive fees))
Maximum incentive fee = $2,000,000
Incentive fee paid = $609,315 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment B does not exceed the maximum incentive fee)

Alternative 2:

Assumptions

Hurdle rate = 8.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
Hurdle rate = (purchase price) × (8% × (days owned/365))
Catch-up rate = 10.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
Catch-up rate = (purchase price) × (10% × (days owned/365))

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Year 1: $20 million investment made on March 15 in Company A (“Investment A”), $30 million investment made on February 1 in Company B (“Investment B”), and $25 million investment made on September 1 in Company C (“Investment C”)
Year 2: Investment A is sold on September 15 for $50 million, FMV of Investment B is determined to be $25 million, and FMV of Investment C is determined to be $25 million
Year 3: FMV of Investment B is determined to be $27 million and Investment C is sold on March 1 for $30 million
Year 4: FMV of Investment B is determined to be $35 million
Year 5: Investment B is sold on December 1 for $20 million

The incentive fee would be calculated as follows:

Year 1: None
Year 2: Incentive fee calculation:
Hurdle rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (8% × (550 days / 365))
Hurdle rate for Investment A = $2,410,959
Catch-up rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (10% × (550 days / 365))
Catch-up rate for Investment A = $3,013,699
Incentive fee on Investment A = 20% × $30,000,000 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied and the catch up has been fully achieved)
Incentive fee on Investment A = $6,000,000
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × ($30,000,000 - $5,000,000 (unrealized depreciation on Investment B))
Maximum incentive fee = $5,000,000
Incentive fee paid = $5,000,000 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment A exceeds the maximum incentive fee, the maximum incentive fee applies)
Year 3: Incentive fee calculation:
Hurdle rate for Investment C = ($30,000,000) × (8% × (822 days / 365))
Hurdle rate for Investment C = $4,504,110
Catch-up rate for Investment C = ($30,000,000) × (10% × (822 days / 365))
Catch-up rate for Investment C = $5,630,137
Incentive fee on Investment C = 100% × ($5,000,000 – $4,504,110 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied, but the catch up has not been fully achieved)
Incentive fee on Investment C = $495,890
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × ($35,000,000 - $3,000,000 (unrealized depreciation on Investment B)) – ($5,000,000 (previously paid incentive fees))
Maximum incentive fee = $1,400,000

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Incentive fee paid = $495,890 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment C does not exceed the maximum incentive fee)
Year 4: None
Year 5: None

We intend to seek primarily minority equity positions in our portfolio companies. Although we expect to primarily invest through private secondary markets, to the extent we make a direct minority investment in a portfolio company, neither we, nor our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, may have the ability to control the timing of when we realize capital gains or losses with respect to such investment. We expect the timing of such realization events to be determined by our portfolio companies in such cases. To the extent we have non-minority investments, or the securities we hold are traded on a private secondary market or public securities exchange, NeXt Asset Management will have greater control over the timing of a realization event. In such cases, our board of directors will monitor such investments in connection with their general oversight of the investment management services provided by NeXt Asset Management. In addition, as of the end of each fiscal quarter, we will evaluate whether the cumulative aggregate unrealized appreciation on our portfolio would be sufficient to require us to pay an incentive fee to our investment adviser if such unrealized appreciation were actually realized as of the end of such quarter, and if so, we will accrue an expense equal to the amount of such incentive fee. Any such accrual of incentive fees will be reflected in the calculation of our net asset value.

Payment of our Expenses

All personnel of our investment adviser when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory services, and the compensation and expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by NeXt Asset Management. We are responsible for all other costs and expenses of our operations and transactions, including (without limitation) the cost of calculating our net asset value; the cost of effecting sales and repurchases of shares of our common stock and other securities; investment advisory fees; fees payable to third parties relating to, or associated with, making investments, including fees and expenses associated with performing due diligence reviews of prospective investments (in each case subject to approval of our board of directors); transfer agent and custodial fees; fees and expenses associated with marketing efforts (including attendance at investment conference and similar events); federal and state registration fees; any exchange listing fees; federal, state and local taxes; independent directors’ fees and expenses; brokerage commissions; costs associated with our reporting and compliance obligations under the 1940 Act and applicable federal and state securities laws including costs of proxy statements, stockholders’ reports and notices; fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance and other insurance premiums; direct costs such as printing, mailing, long distance telephone, staff, independent audits and outside legal costs and all other expenses incurred by either NeXt Innovation Service Company or us in connection with administering our business, including payments under the administration agreement that will be based upon our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including a portion of the rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and other administrative support personnel. All of these expenses are ultimately borne by our common stockholders.

Duration and Termination

The Investment Advisory Agreement was approved by our board of directors on March 28, 2011. Unless earlier terminated as described below, the Investment Advisory Agreement will remain in effect for a period of two years from the date it was approved by the board of directors and will remain in effect from year to year thereafter if approved annually by our board of directors or by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities, including, in either case, approval by a majority of our directors who are not interested persons. The Investment Advisory Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment. The Investment Advisory Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon not more than 60 days’ written notice to the other. The Investment Advisory Agreement may also be terminated, without penalty, upon the vote of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.

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Indemnification

The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, NeXt Asset Management and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from NeXt Innovation for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of NeXt Asset Management’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of NeXt Innovation.

Organization of the Investment Adviser

NeXt Asset Management is a Delaware limited liability company. The principal executive offices of NeXt Asset Management are located at 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.

Board Approval of the Investment Advisory and Management Agreement

A discussion regarding the basis for our board of director’s approval of our Investment Advisory Agreement will be included in our first annual report on Form 10-K filed subsequent to any such board approval, or incorporated by reference therein.

ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT

Pursuant to a separate Administration Agreement, NeXt Innovation Service Company, a Delaware limited liability company, furnishes us with office facilities, together with equipment and clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities. The principal executive offices of NeXt Innovation Service Company are located at 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062. Under the Administration Agreement, NeXt Innovation Service Company also performs, or oversees the performance of, our required administrative services, which includes being responsible for the financial records which we are required to maintain and preparing reports to our stockholders and reports filed with the SEC. In addition, NeXt Innovation Service Company assists us in determining and publishing our net asset value, overseeing the preparation and filing of our tax returns and the printing and dissemination of reports to our stockholders, and generally overseeing the payment of our expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to us by others. Payments under the Administration Agreement are based upon our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the administration agreement, including a portion of the rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and any administrative support personnel. While there is no limit on the total amount of expenses we may be required to reimburse to NeXt Innovation Service Company, our administrator will only charge us for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to NeXt Innovation Service Company. The Administration Agreement may be terminated by either party without penalty upon 60 days’ written notice to the other party.

The Administration Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of their respective duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of their respective duties and obligations, NeXt Innovation Service Company and its officers, manager, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from NeXt Innovation for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of NeXt Innovation Service Company’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as administrator for NeXt Innovation.

NeXt Innovation Service Company will also provide administrative services to our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management. As a result, NeXt Asset Management will also reimburse NeXt Innovation Service Company for its allocable portion of NeXt Innovation Service Company’s overhead, including rent, the fees and expenses associated with performing compliance functions for NeXt Asset Management, and its allocable portion of the compensation of any administrative support staff. We estimate that we will incur approximately $1.5 million in aggregate expenses under our Administration Agreement during our first twelve months of operations following completion of this offering.

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LICENSE AGREEMENT

We have entered into a license agreement with NeXt Asset Management pursuant to which NeXt Asset Management has agreed to grant us a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use the name “NeXt.” Under this agreement, we have a right to use the NeXt name for so long as the Investment Advisory Agreement with NeXt Asset Management is in effect. Other than with respect to this limited license, we will have no legal right to the “NeXt” name.

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RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS AND CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS

We have entered into an Investment Advisory Agreement with NeXt Asset Management. NeXt Asset Management is controlled by Michael T. Moe, our president, chief executive officer and chairman of our board of directors, Stephen D. Bard, our chief financial officer, chief compliance officer, treasurer and corporate secretary, and Luben Pampoulov, our vice-president. Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, as principals of NeXt Asset Management, collectively manage the business and internal affairs of NeXt Asset Management. Mr. Klein or entities he controls may receive fees from NeXt Asset Management in connection with this offering and, from time to time, subsequent thereto for non-investment advisory services he may provide. In addition, NeXt Innovation Service Company provides us with office facilities and administrative services pursuant to an Administration Agreement. Mr. Moe is the managing member of and controls NeXt Innovation Service Company. While there is no limit on the total amount of expenses we may be required to reimburse to NeXt Innovation Service Company, our administrator will only charge us for the actual expenses it incurs on our behalf, or our allocable portion thereof, without any profit to NeXt Innovation Service Company.

In addition, our executive officers and directors, and the principals of our investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, serve or may serve as officers and directors of entities that operate in a line of business similar to our own. Accordingly, they may have obligations to investors in those entities, the fulfillment of which might not be in the best interests of us or our stockholders. For example, NeXt Asset Management currently manages NeXt X Fund, a global long/short absolute return fund.

While the investment focus of each of these entities tends to be different from our investment objective, it is possible that new investment opportunities that meet our investment objective may come to the attention of one of these entities in connection with another investment advisory client or program, and, if so, such opportunity might not be offered, or otherwise made available, to us. However, our executive officers, directors and investment adviser intend to treat us in a fair and equitable manner consistent with their applicable duties under law so that we will not be disadvantaged in relation to any other particular client. In addition, NeXt Asset Management does not anticipate that it will ordinarily identify investment opportunities that are appropriate for both NeXt Innovation and the other funds that are currently or in the future may be managed by NeXt Asset Management. However, to the extent it does identify such opportunities, NeXt Asset Management will allocate such opportunities between NeXt Innovation and such other funds pursuant to an established procedure that is designed to ensure that such allocation is fair and equitable. Our board of directors will monitor on a quarterly basis any such allocation of investment opportunities between NeXt Innovation and any such other funds.

In the ordinary course of business, we may enter into transactions with portfolio companies that may be considered related party transactions. In order to ensure that we do not engage in any prohibited transactions with any persons affiliated with us, we have implemented certain written policies and procedures whereby our executive officers screen each of our transactions for any possible affiliations between the proposed portfolio investment, us, companies controlled by us and our executive officers and directors. We will not enter into any agreements unless and until we are satisfied that doing so will not raise concerns under the 1940 Act or, if such concerns exist, we have taken appropriate actions to seek board review and approval or exemptive relief for such transaction. Our board of directors will review these procedures on an annual basis.

We have also adopted a Code of Ethics which applies to, among others, our senior officers, including our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, as well as all of our officers, directors and employees. Our officers and directors also remain subject to the fiduciary obligations imposed by both the 1940 Act and applicable state corporate law. Our Code of Ethics requires that all employees and directors avoid any conflict, or the appearance of a conflict, between an individual’s personal interests and our interests. Pursuant to our Code of Ethics, each employee and director must disclose any conflicts of interest, or actions or relationships that might give rise to a conflict, to our chief compliance officer. Our Audit Committee is charged with approving any waivers under our Code of Ethics. As required by the NASDAQ corporate governance listing standards, the Audit Committee of our board of directors is also required to review and approve any transactions with related parties (as such term is defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K).

Finally, we will pay NeXt Innovation Service Company our allocable portion of overhead and other expenses incurred by NeXt Innovation Service Company in performing its obligations under the Administration

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Agreement, including a portion of the rent and the compensation of our chief financial officer and chief compliance officer and any administrative support personnel, which creates conflicts of interest that our board of directors must monitor. We estimate that we will incur approximately $1.5 million in aggregate expenses under our Administration Agreement during our first twelve months of operations following completion of this offering.

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CONTROL PERSONS AND PRINCIPAL STOCKHOLDERS

Immediately prior to the completion of this offering, there will be 100 shares of common stock outstanding and one stockholder of record. At that time, we will have no other shares of capital stock outstanding. The following table sets forth certain ownership information with respect to our common stock for those persons who directly or indirectly own, control or hold with the power to vote, 5% or more of our outstanding common stock and all officers and directors, as a group.

         
    Percentage of common stock outstanding
       Immediately
prior to this offering
  Immediately
after this offering(1)
Name   Type of ownership   Shares owned   Percentage   Shares owned   Percentage
Michael T. Moe     Record and beneficial       100       100.0 %      100       *  
All officers and directors as a group (8 persons)(2)     Beneficial       100       100.0 %      100       *  

* Represents less than 1%
(1) Assumes issuance of 3,500,000 shares offered hereby. Does not reflect shares of common stock reserved for issuance upon exercise of the underwriters’ over-allotment option.
(2) The address for all officers and directors is c/o NeXt Innovation Corp., 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.

The following table sets forth the dollar range of our equity securities that we expect will be beneficially owned by each of our directors immediately after this offering.

 
Name of Director   Dollar Range of Equity
Securities in NeXt Innovation(1)(2)
Interested Directors
        
Michael T. Moe   $ 1 – $10,000  
Mark D. Klein     None  
Independent Directors
        
Leonard A. Potter     None  
Mark W. Flynn     None  
David Spreng     None  

(1) Dollar ranges are as follows: None, $1 – $10,000, $10,001 – $50,000, $50,001 – $100,000, or Over $100,000.
(2) The dollar range of equity securities beneficially owned in us is based on the assumed initial offering price per share of our common stock of $15.00 set forth on the cover page of this prospectus.

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REGULATION AS A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY

General

A business development company is regulated by the 1940 Act. A business development company must be organized in the United States for the purpose of investing in or lending to primarily private companies and making significant managerial assistance available to them. A business development company may use capital provided by public stockholders and from other sources to make long-term, private investments in businesses. A business development company provides stockholders the ability to retain the liquidity of a publicly traded stock while sharing in the possible benefits, if any, of investing in primarily privately owned companies.

We may not change the nature of our business so as to cease to be, or withdraw our election as, a business development company unless authorized by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities, as required by the 1940 Act. A majority of the outstanding voting securities of a company is defined under the 1940 Act as the lesser of: (a) 67% or more of such company’s voting securities present at a meeting if more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company are present or represented by proxy, or (b) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities of such company. We do not anticipate any substantial change in the nature of our business.

As with other companies regulated by the 1940 Act, a business development company must adhere to certain substantive regulatory requirements. A majority of our directors must be persons who are not interested persons, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. Additionally, we will be required to provide and maintain a bond issued by a reputable fidelity insurance company to protect the business development company. Furthermore, as a business development company, we will be prohibited from protecting any director or officer against any liability to us or our stockholders arising from willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of such person’s office.

As a business development company, we will generally be required to meet an asset coverage ratio, defined under the 1940 Act as the ratio of our gross assets (less all liabilities and indebtedness not represented by senior securities) to our outstanding senior securities, of at least 200% after each issuance of senior securities. We may also be prohibited under the 1940 Act from knowingly participating in certain transactions with our affiliates without the prior approval of our directors who are not interested persons and, in some cases, prior approval by the SEC.

We will generally not be able to issue and sell our common stock at a price below net asset value per share. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure — Regulations governing our operation as a business development company affect our ability to, and the way in which we, raise additional capital.” We may, however, sell our common stock, or warrants, options or rights to acquire our common stock, at a price below the then-current net asset value of our common stock if our board of directors determines that such sale is in our best interests and the best interests of our stockholders, and our stockholders approve such sale. In addition, we may generally issue new shares of our common stock at a price below net asset value in rights offerings to existing stockholders, in payment of dividends and in certain other limited circumstances.

As a business development company, we will generally be limited in our ability to invest in any portfolio company in which our investment adviser or any of its affiliates currently has an investment or to make any co-investments with our investment adviser or its affiliates without an exemptive order from the SEC, subject to certain exceptions.

We will be subject to periodic examination by the SEC for compliance with the 1940 Act.

As a business development company, we will be subject to certain risks and uncertainties. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure.”

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Qualifying Assets

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

(1) Securities purchased in transactions not involving any public offering from the issuer of such securities, which issuer (subject to certain limited exceptions) is an eligible portfolio company, or from any person who is, or has been during the preceding 13 months, an affiliated person of an eligible portfolio company, or from any other person, subject to such rules as may be prescribed by the SEC. An eligible portfolio company is defined in the 1940 Act as any issuer which:
(a) is organized under the laws of, and has its principal place of business in, the United States;
(b) is not an investment company (other than a small business investment company wholly owned by the business development company) or a company that would be an investment company but for certain exclusions under the 1940 Act; and
(c) satisfies any of the following:
i. does not have any class of securities that is traded on a national securities exchange;
ii. has a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange, but has an aggregate market value of outstanding voting and non-voting common equity of less then $250 million;
iii. is controlled by a business development company or a group of companies including a business development company and the business development company has an affiliated person who is a director of the eligible portfolio company; or
iv. is a small and solvent company having gross assets of not more than $4.0 million and capital and surplus of not less than $2.0 million.
(2) Securities of any eligible portfolio company which we control.
(3) Securities purchased in a private transaction from a U.S. issuer that is not an investment company or from an affiliated person of the issuer, or in transactions incident thereto, if the issuer is in bankruptcy and subject to reorganization or if the issuer, immediately prior to the purchase of its securities, was unable to meet its obligations as they came due without material assistance other than conventional lending or financing arrangements.
(4) Securities of an eligible portfolio company purchased from any person in a private transaction if there is no ready market for such securities and we already own 60% of the outstanding equity of the eligible portfolio company.
(5) Securities received in exchange for or distributed on or with respect to securities described in (1) through (4) above, or pursuant to the exercise of warrants or rights relating to such securities.
(6) Cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities or high-quality debt securities maturing in one year or less from the time of investment.

Managerial Assistance to Portfolio Companies

In addition, a business development company must have been organized and have its principal place of business in the United States and must be operated for the purpose of making investments in the types of securities described in (1), (2) or (3) above. However, in order to count portfolio securities as qualifying assets for the purpose of the 70% test, the business development company must either control the issuer of the securities or must offer to make available to the issuer of the securities (other than small and solvent companies described above) significant managerial assistance; except that, where the business development company purchases such securities in conjunction with one or more other persons acting together, one of the other persons in the group may make available such managerial assistance. Making available managerial

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assistance means, among other things, any arrangement whereby the business development company, through its directors, officers or employees, offers to provide, and, if accepted, does so provide, significant guidance and counsel concerning the management, operations or business objectives and policies of a portfolio company.

Temporary Investments

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

Senior Securities

We are permitted, under specified conditions, to issue multiple classes of indebtedness and one class of stock senior to our common stock if our asset coverage, as defined in the 1940 Act, is at least equal to 200% immediately after each such issuance. In addition, while any senior securities remain outstanding, we must make provisions to prohibit any distribution to our stockholders or the repurchase of such securities or shares unless we meet the applicable asset coverage ratios at the time of the distribution or repurchase. We may also borrow amounts up to 5% of the value of our gross assets for temporary or emergency purposes without regard to asset coverage. For a discussion of the risks associated with leverage, see “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to Our Business and Structure — We may borrow money, which would magnify the potential for gain or loss on amounts invested and may increase the risk of investing in us.”

Code of Ethics

We and NeXt Asset Management have each adopted a code of ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, respectively, that establishes procedures for personal investments and restricts certain transactions by our personnel. Our codes of ethics generally do not permit investments by our employees in securities that may be purchased or held by us. You may read and copy these codes of ethics at the SEC’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at (202) 551-8090. In addition, each code of ethics is attached as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and is available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s Internet site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain copies of the codes of ethics, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following Email address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the SEC’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549.

Compliance Policies and Procedures

We and our investment adviser have adopted and implemented written policies and procedures reasonably designed to detect and prevent violation of the federal securities laws and are required to review these compliance policies and procedures annually for their adequacy and the effectiveness of their implementation and designate a chief compliance officer to be responsible for administering the policies and procedures. Stephen D. Bard currently serves as our chief compliance officer.

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Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 imposes a wide variety of new regulatory requirements on publicly-held companies and their insiders. Many of these requirements affect us. For example:

pursuant to Rule 13a-14 of the Exchange Act, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer must certify the accuracy of the financial statements contained in our periodic reports;
pursuant to Item 307 of Regulation S-K, our periodic reports must disclose our conclusions about the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures;
pursuant to Rule 13a-15 of the Exchange Act, our management must prepare an annual report regarding its assessment of our internal control over financial reporting and must obtain an audit of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting performed by our independent registered public accounting firm; and
pursuant to Item 308 of Regulation S-K and Rule 13a-15 of the 1934 Act, our periodic reports must disclose whether there were significant changes in our internal controls over financial reporting or in other factors that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation, including any corrective actions with regard to significant deficiencies and material weaknesses.

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

Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures

We have delegated our proxy voting responsibility to NeXt Asset Management. The Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of NeXt Asset Management are set forth below. The guidelines will be reviewed periodically by NeXt Asset Management and our non-interested directors, and, accordingly, are subject to change. For purposes of these Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures described below, “we,” “our” and “us” refers to NeXt Asset Management.

Introduction

An investment adviser registered under the Advisers Act has a fiduciary duty to act solely in the best interests of its clients. As part of this duty, we recognize that we must vote client securities in a timely manner free of conflicts of interest and in the best interests of our clients.

These policies and procedures for voting proxies for our investment advisory clients are intended to comply with Section 206 of, and Rule 206(4)-6 under, the Advisers Act.

Proxy Policies

We will vote proxies relating to our portfolio securities in what we perceive to be the best interest of our clients’ stockholders. We will review on a case-by-case basis each proposal submitted to a stockholder vote to determine its impact on the portfolio securities held by our clients. Although we will generally vote against proposals that may have a negative impact on our clients’ portfolio securities, we may vote for such a proposal if there exist compelling long-term reasons to do so.

Our proxy voting decisions will be made by the senior officers who are responsible for monitoring each of our clients’ investments. To ensure that our vote is not the product of a conflict of interest, we will require that: (1) anyone involved in the decision making process disclose to our managing members any potential conflict that he or she is aware of and any contact that he or she has had with any interested party regarding a proxy vote; and (2) employees involved in the decision making process or vote administration are prohibited from revealing how we intend to vote on a proposal in order to reduce any attempted influence from interested parties.

Proxy Voting Records

You may obtain information about how we voted proxies by making a written request for proxy voting information to: NeXt Asset Management, 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.

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Privacy Principles

We are committed to maintaining the privacy of our stockholders and to safeguarding their non-public personal information. The following information is provided to help you understand what personal information we collect, how we protect that information and why, in certain cases, we may share information with select other parties.

Generally, we do not receive any non-public personal information relating to our stockholders, although certain non-public personal information of our stockholders may become available to us. We do not disclose any non-public personal information about our stockholders or former stockholders to anyone, except as permitted by law or as is necessary in order to service stockholder accounts (for example, to a transfer agent or third party administrator).

We restrict access to non-public personal information about our stockholders to employees of our investment adviser and its affiliates with a legitimate business need for the information. We will maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards designed to protect the non-public personal information of our stockholders.

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DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE

We intend to determine the net asset value of our investment portfolio each quarter, or more frequently if required under the 1940 Act.

Securities that are publicly traded, or which actively trade on a private secondary market, will generally be valued at a recent market price prior to the valuation date. Securities that are not publicly traded or for which there are no readily available market quotations, including securities that, while listed on a private securities exchange, have not actively traded, will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by our board of directors. In connection with that determination, members of our investment adviser’s portfolio management team will prepare portfolio company valuations using the most recent portfolio company financial statements and forecasts. We also intend to engage independent valuation firms to perform independent valuations of our investments that are not publicly traded or for which there are no readily available market quotations, including securities that, while listed on a private securities exchange, have not actively traded. We may also engage independent valuation firms to perform independent valuations of any securities that trade on private secondary markets, but are not otherwise publicly traded, where there is a lack of appreciable trading or a wide disparity in recently reported trades.

For those securities that are not publicly traded or for which there are no readily available market quotations, including securities that, while listed on a private securities exchange, have not actively traded, our board of directors, with the assistance of our Valuation Committee, will use the recommended valuations as prepared by management and the independent valuation firm, respectively, as a component of the foundation for its final fair value determination. Due to the uncertainty inherent in the valuation process, such estimates of fair value may differ significantly from the values that would have resulted had others made the determination using the same or different procedures or had a readily available market for the securities existed, and the differences could be material. Additionally, changes in the market environment and other events that may occur over the life of the investments may cause the gains or losses ultimately realized on these investments to be different than the gains or losses implied by the valuation currently assigned to such investments. For those investments that are publicly traded or which actively trade on a private secondary market, we will generally record unrealized appreciation or depreciation based on changes in the market value of the securities. For those investments that are not publicly traded and for which there are no readily available market quotations, including securities that, while listed on a private securities exchange, have not actively traded, we will record unrealized depreciation on such investments when an investment has become impaired, and record unrealized appreciation if the underlying portfolio company has appreciated in value and our equity security has also appreciated in value. Changes in fair value will be recorded in the statement of operations as the net change in unrealized appreciation or depreciation.

Determinations in Connection with Offerings

In connection with each offering of shares of our common stock subsequent to completion of this offering, our board of directors or a committee thereof will be required to make the determination that we are not selling shares of our common stock at a price below the then current net asset value of our common stock at the time at which the sale is made. Our board of directors or a committee thereof will consider the following factors, among others, in making such determination:

the net asset value of our common stock disclosed in the most recent periodic report we filed with the SEC;
our management’s assessment of whether any material change in the net asset value of our common stock has occurred (including through the realization of gains on the sale of our portfolio securities) from the period beginning on the date of the most recently disclosed net asset value of our common stock to the period ending two days prior to the date of the sale of our common stock; and
the magnitude of the difference between the net asset value of our common stock disclosed in the most recent periodic report we filed with the SEC and our management’s assessment of any material change in the net asset value of our common stock since the date of the most recently disclosed net asset value of our common stock, and the offering price of the shares of our common stock in the proposed offering.

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Importantly, this determination will not require that we calculate the net asset value of our common stock in connection with each offering of shares of our common stock, but instead it will involve the determination by our board of directors or a committee thereof that we are not selling shares of our common stock at a price below the then current net asset value of our common stock at the time at which the sale is made.

Moreover, to the extent that there is even a remote possibility that we may (1) issue shares of our common stock at a price below the then current net asset value of our common stock at the time at which the sale is made or (2) trigger the undertaking (which we provided to the SEC in the registration statement to which this prospectus is a part) to suspend the offering of shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus if the net asset value of our common stock fluctuates by certain amounts in certain circumstances until the prospectus is amended, our board of directors will elect, in the case of clause (1) above, either to postpone the offering until such time that there is no longer the possibility of the occurrence of such event or to undertake to determine the net asset value of our common stock within two days prior to any such sale to ensure that such sale will not be below our then current net asset value, and, in the case of clause (2) above, to comply with such undertaking or to undertake to determine the net asset value of our common stock to ensure that such undertaking has not been triggered.

These processes and procedures are part of our compliance policies and procedures. Records will be made contemporaneously with all determinations described in this section and these records will be maintained with other records we are required to maintain under the 1940 Act.

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DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN

We have adopted a dividend reinvestment plan, through which all dividends are paid to stockholders in the form of additional shares of our common stock, unless a stockholder elects to receive cash as provided below. In this way, a stockholder can maintain an undiluted investment in us and still allow us to pay out the required distributable income.

No action is required on the part of a registered stockholder to receive a distribution in shares of our common stock. A registered stockholder may elect to receive an entire distribution in cash by notifying American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the plan administrator and our transfer agent and registrar, in writing so that such notice is received by the plan administrator no later than 10 days prior to the record date for distributions to stockholders. The plan administrator will set up an account for shares acquired through the plan for each stockholder who has not elected to receive distributions in cash and hold such shares in non-certificated form. Upon request by a participant, received in writing not less than 10 days prior to the record date, the plan administrator will, instead of crediting shares to the participant’s account, issue a certificate registered in the participant’s name for the number of whole shares of our common stock and a check for any fractional share.

Those stockholders whose shares are held by a broker or other financial intermediary may receive distributions in cash by notifying their broker or other financial intermediary of their election.

We use only newly-issued shares to implement the plan, whether our shares are trading at a premium or at a discount to net asset value. The number of shares to be issued to a stockholder is determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the distribution payable to such stockholder by the market price per share of our common stock at the close of regular trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market on the valuation date for such distribution. Market price per share on that date will be the closing price for such shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market or, if no sale is reported for such day, at the average of their electronically-reported bid and asked prices. The number of shares of our common stock to be outstanding after giving effect to payment of the distribution cannot be established until the value per share at which additional shares will be issued has been determined and elections of our stockholders have been tabulated.

There is no charge to stockholders for receiving their distributions in the form of additional shares of our common stock. The plan administrator’s fees for handling distributions in stock are paid by us. There are no brokerage charges with respect to shares we have issued directly as a result of distributions payable in stock. If a participant elects by written or telephonic notice to the plan administrator to have the plan administrator sell part or all of the shares held by the plan administrator in the participant’s account and remit the proceeds to the participant, the plan administrator is authorized to deduct a $15 transaction fee plus brokerage commissions from the proceeds.

Stockholders who receive distributions in the form of stock are subject to the same federal, state and local tax consequences as are stockholders who elect to receive their distributions in cash. A stockholder’s basis for determining gain or loss upon the sale of stock received in a distribution from us will be equal to the total dollar amount of the distribution payable to the stockholder. As a result, if you do not elect to opt out of the dividend reinvestment plan, you will be required to pay applicable federal, state and local taxes on any reinvested dividends even though you will not receive a corresponding cash distribution. In addition, reinvested dividends have the effect of increasing our gross assets, which may correspondingly increase the management fee payable to our investment adviser.

The plan may be terminated by us upon notice in writing mailed to each participant at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any dividend or distribution by us. All correspondence concerning the plan should be directed to the plan administrator by mail at 59 Maiden Lane, New York, New York 10038 or by phone at (800) 937-5449.

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following discussion is a general summary of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to us and to an investment in our shares. This summary does not purport to be a complete description of the income tax considerations applicable to such an investment. 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 stockholders subject to the alternative minimum tax, tax-exempt organizations, insurance companies, dealers in securities, a trader in securities that elects to use a market-to-market method of accounting for its securities holdings, pension plans and trusts, and financial institutions. This summary assumes that investors hold our common stock as capital assets (within the meaning of the Code). The discussion is based upon the Code, Treasury regulations, and administrative and judicial interpretations, each as of the date of this prospectus and all of which are subject to change, possibly retroactively, which could affect the continuing validity of this discussion. We have not sought and will not seek any ruling from the Internal Revenue Service regarding this offering. This summary does not discuss any aspects of U.S. estate or gift tax or 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. stockholder” generally is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock 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 (and an entity organized outside of the United States that is treated as a U.S. corporation under specialized sections of the Code);
A trust if a court within the United States is asked to exercise primary supervision over the administration of the trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantive decisions of the trust (or a trust that has made a valid election to be treated as a U.S. trust); or
An estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source.

A “Non-U.S. stockholder” generally is a beneficial owner of shares of our common stock who is not a U.S. stockholder.

If a partnership (including an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holds shares of our common stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A prospective stockholder that is a partner of a partnership holding shares of our common stock should consult his, her or its tax advisers with respect to the purchase, ownership and disposition of shares of our common stock.

Tax matters are complicated and the tax consequences to an investor of an investment in our shares will depend on the facts of his, her or its particular situation. We encourage investors to consult their own 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 possible changes in the tax laws.

Election to be Taxed as a RIC

We intend to elect to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code. As a RIC, we generally will not have to pay corporate-level federal income taxes on any income that we distribute to our stockholders as dividends. To qualify as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements (as described below). In addition, in order to be eligible for pass-through tax treatment as a RIC, we must distribute to our stockholders, for each taxable year, at least 90% of our “investment company taxable income,” which is generally our net 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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Taxation as a Regulated Investment Company

If we:

qualify as a RIC; and
satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement,

then we will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of our income we distribute (or are deemed to distribute) to stockholders. We 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 our stockholders.

We will be subject to a 4% nondeductible federal excise tax on certain undistributed income unless we distribute in a timely manner an amount at least equal to the sum of (1) 98% of our net ordinary income for each calendar year, (2) 98.2% of our capital gain net income for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year and (3) any income recognized, but not distributed, in preceding years (the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”). We generally will endeavor in each year to make sufficient distributions to our stockholders to avoid any U.S. federal excise tax on our earnings.

In order to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes, we must, among other things:

have in effect an election to be treated as a business development company under the 1940 Act at all times during each taxable year;
derive in each taxable year at least 90% of our gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to loans of certain securities, gains from the sale of stock or other securities, net income from certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships,” or other income derived with respect to our business of investing in such stock or securities (the “90% Income Test”); and
diversify our holdings so that at the end of each quarter of the taxable year:
at least 50% of the value of our assets consists of cash, cash equivalents, U.S. Government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities if such other securities of any one issuer do not represent more than 5% of the value of our assets or more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer; and
no more than 25% of the value of our assets is invested in the securities, other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs, of one issuer, of two or more issuers that are controlled, as determined under applicable Code rules, by us and that are engaged in the same or similar or related trades or businesses, or of certain “qualified publicly traded partnerships” (the “Diversification Tests”).

We may be required to recognize taxable income in circumstances in which we do not receive cash. For example, if we hold debt obligations that are treated under applicable tax rules as having original issue discount (which may arise if we receive warrants in connection with the origination of a loan or possibly in other circumstances), we must include in income each year a portion of the original issue discount that accrues over the life of the obligation, regardless of whether cash representing such income is received by us in the same taxable year. We may also have to include in income other amounts that we have not yet received in cash, such as contractual payment-in-kind, or PIK, interest (which represents contractual interest added to the loan balance and due at the end of the loan term) and deferred loan origination fees that are paid after origination of the loan or are paid in non-cash compensation such as warrants or stock. Because any original issue discount or other amounts accrued will be included in our investment company taxable income for the year of accrual, we may be required to make a distribution to our stockholders in order to satisfy the Annual Distribution Requirement, even though we will not have received any corresponding cash amount.

Although we do not presently expect to do so, we are authorized to borrow funds and to sell assets in order to satisfy distribution requirements. However, under the 1940 Act, we are not permitted to make distributions to our stockholders while our debt obligations and other senior securities are outstanding unless certain “asset coverage” tests are met. See “Regulation — Senior Securities.” Moreover, our ability to dispose of assets to meet our distribution requirements may be limited by (1) the illiquid nature of our portfolio and/or (2) other requirements relating to our status as a RIC, including the Diversification Tests. If we dispose of

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assets in order to meet the Annual Distribution Requirement or the Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement, we may make such dispositions at times that, from an investment standpoint, are not advantageous.

Certain of our 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 lower taxed long-term capital gain into higher taxed 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 us 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% gross income test described above. We will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections in order to mitigate the potential adverse effect of these provisions.

Gain or loss realized by us from the sale or exchange of warrants acquired by us as well as any loss attributable to the lapse of such warrants generally will be treated as capital gain or loss. The treatment of such gain or loss as long-term or short-term will depend on how long we held a particular warrant. Upon the exercise of a warrant acquired by us, our tax basis in the stock purchased under the warrant will equal the sum of the amount paid for the warrant plus the strike price paid on the exercise of the warrant.

The remainder of this discussion assumes that we qualify as a RIC and have satisfied the Annual Distribution Requirement.

Taxation of U.S. Stockholders

Distributions by us generally are taxable to U.S. stockholders as ordinary income or capital gains. Distributions of our “investment company taxable income” (which is, generally, our net ordinary income plus realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized net long-term capital losses) will be taxable as ordinary income to U.S. stockholders to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional common stock. To the extent such distributions paid by us in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013 to non-corporate stockholders (including individuals) are attributable to dividends from U.S. corporations and certain qualified foreign corporations, such distributions (“Qualifying Dividends”) may be eligible for a maximum tax rate of 15%. In this regard, it is anticipated that distributions paid by us will generally not be attributable to dividends and, therefore, generally will not qualify for the 15% maximum rate applicable to Qualifying Dividends. Distributions of our net capital gains (which are generally our realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses) made in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013 and properly designated by us as “capital gain dividends” will be taxable to a U.S. stockholder as long-term capital gains that are currently taxable at a maximum rate of 15% in the case of individuals, trusts or estates, regardless of the U.S. stockholder’s holding period for his, her or its common stock and regardless of whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional common stock. Distributions in excess of our earnings and profits first will reduce a U.S. stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in such stockholder’s common stock and, after the adjusted basis is reduced to zero, will constitute capital gains to such U.S. stockholder.

Under the dividend reinvestment plan, our stockholders who have not “opted out” of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving the cash distributions. Any distributions reinvested under the plan will nevertheless remain taxable to U.S. stockholders. A U.S. stockholder will have an adjusted basis in the additional common shares purchased through the plan equal to the amount of the reinvested distribution. The additional shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the U.S. stockholder’s account.

We may retain some or all of our realized net long-term capital gains in excess of realized net short-term capital losses, but designate the retained net capital gain as a “deemed distribution.” In that case, among other consequences, we will pay tax on the retained amount, each U.S. stockholder will be required to include his, her or its share of the deemed distribution in income as if it had been actually distributed to the U.S. stockholder, and the U.S. stockholder will be entitled to claim a credit equal to his, her or its allocable share of the tax paid thereon by us. Because we expect to pay tax on any retained capital gains at our regular corporate tax rate, and because that rate is in excess of the maximum rate currently payable by non-corporate taxpayers

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on long-term capital gains, the amount of tax that individual U.S. stockholders will be treated as having paid will exceed the tax they owe on the capital gain distribution and such excess generally may be refunded or claimed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s other U.S. federal income tax obligations. The amount of the deemed distribution net of such tax will be added to the U.S. stockholder’s cost basis for his, her or its common stock. In order to utilize the deemed distribution approach, we must provide written notice to our stockholders prior to the expiration of 60 days after the close of the relevant taxable year. We cannot treat any of our investment company taxable income as a “deemed distribution.”

As a RIC, we will be subject to the alternative minimum tax (“AMT”), but any items that are treated differently for AMT purposes must be apportioned between us and our stockholders and this may affect our stockholders’ AMT liabilities. Although regulations explaining the precise method of apportionment have not yet been issued by the Internal Revenue Service, we intend in general to apportion these items in the same proportion that dividends paid to each stockholder bear to our taxable income (determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction), unless we determines that a different method for a particular item is warranted under the circumstances.

For purposes of determining (1) whether the Annual Distribution Requirement is satisfied for any year and (2) the amount of capital gain dividends paid for that year, we 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 we make such an election, the U.S. stockholder will still be treated as receiving the dividend in the taxable year in which the distribution is made. However, any dividend declared by us in October, November or December of any calendar year, payable to stockholders of record on a specified date in such a month and actually paid during January of the following year, will be treated as if it had been received by our U.S. stockholders on December 31 of the year in which the dividend was declared.

If an investor purchases shares of our common stock shortly before the record date of a distribution, the price of the shares will include the value of the distribution and the investor will be subject to tax on the distribution even though economically it may represent a return of his, her or its investment.

A stockholder generally will recognize taxable gain or loss if the stockholder sells or otherwise disposes of his, her or its shares of our common stock. The amount of gain or loss will be measured by the difference between such stockholder’s adjusted tax basis in the common stock sold and the amount of the proceeds received in exchange. Any gain arising from such sale or disposition generally will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the stockholder has held his, her or its 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 of our common stock 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, with respect to such shares. In addition, all or a portion of any loss recognized upon a disposition of shares of our common stock may be disallowed if other shares of our common stock are purchased (whether through reinvestment of distributions or otherwise) within 30 days before or after the disposition.

In general, individual U.S. stockholders currently are subject to a maximum federal income tax rate of 15% on their net capital gain (i.e., the excess of realized net long-term capital gains over realized net short-term capital losses) recognized in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013, including any long-term capital gain derived from an investment in our shares. Such rate is lower than the maximum rate on ordinary income currently payable by individuals. In addition, for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, individuals with income in excess of $200,000 ($250,000 in the case of married individuals filing jointly) and certain estates and trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on their “net investment income,” which generally includes net income from interest, dividends, annuities, royalties, and rents, and net capital gains (other than certain amounts earned from trades or businesses). Corporate U.S. stockholders currently are subject to federal income tax on net capital gain at the maximum 35% rate also applied to ordinary income. Non-corporate stockholders with net capital losses for a year (i.e., capital losses in excess of capital gains) generally may deduct up to $3,000 of such losses against their ordinary income each year; any net capital losses of a non-corporate stockholder in excess of $3,000 generally may be carried forward and used in subsequent years as provided in the Code. Corporate stockholders generally may not deduct any net capital losses for a year, but may carry back such losses for three years or carry forward such losses for five years.

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We will send to each of our U.S. stockholders, as promptly as possible after the end of each calendar year, a notice detailing, on a per share and per distribution basis, the amounts includible in such U.S. stockholder’s taxable income for such year as ordinary income and as long-term capital gain. In addition, the federal tax status of each year’s distributions generally will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (including the amount of dividends, if any, eligible for the 15% maximum rate). Dividends paid by us generally will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction or the preferential tax rate applicable to Qualifying Dividends because our income generally will not consist of dividends. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on a U.S. stockholder’s particular situation.

We may be required to withhold federal income tax (“backup withholding”) currently at a rate of 28% from all taxable distributions to any U.S. stockholder (other than a corporation, a financial institution, or a stockholder that otherwise qualifies for an exemption) (1) who fails to furnish us with a correct taxpayer identification number or a certificate that such stockholder is exempt from backup withholding or (2) with respect to whom the Internal Revenue Service notifies us that such stockholder has failed to properly report certain interest and dividend income to the Internal Revenue Service and to respond to notices to that effect. An individual’s taxpayer identification number is his or her social security number. Any amount withheld under backup withholding is allowed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s federal income tax liability, provided that proper information is provided to the Internal Revenue Service.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders

Whether an investment in the shares is appropriate for a Non-U.S. stockholder will depend upon that person’s particular circumstances. An investment in the shares by a Non-U.S. stockholder may have adverse tax consequences. Non-U.S. stockholders should consult their tax advisers before investing in our common stock.

Distributions of our “investment company taxable income” to Non-U.S. stockholders (including interest income and realized net short-term capital gains in excess of realized long-term capital losses, which generally would be free of withholding if paid to Non-U.S. stockholders directly) will be subject to withholding of federal tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable treaty) to the extent of our 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. stockholder, we will not be required to withhold federal tax if the Non-U.S. stockholder complies with applicable certification and disclosure requirements, although the distributions will be subject to federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. persons. (Special certification requirements apply to a Non-U.S. stockholder that is a foreign partnership or a foreign trust, and such entities are urged to consult their own tax advisers.)

In addition, for taxable years prior to December 31, 2011, U.S. source withholding taxes are not imposed on dividends paid by RICs to the extent the dividends were designated as “interest-related dividends” or “short-term capital gain dividends.” Under this exemption, interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends generally represent distributions of interest or short-term capital gains that would not have been subject to U.S. withholding tax at the source if they had been received directly by a foreign person, and that satisfy certain other requirements. The exemption applies to dividends with respect to taxable years of RICs beginning on or before December 31, 2011. No assurance can be given as to whether this exemption will be extended for tax years beginning after December 31, 2001 whether any of our distributions will be designated as eligible for this exemption from withholding tax.

Actual or deemed distributions of our net capital gains to a stockholder that is a non-U.S. stockholder, and gains realized by a non-U.S. stockholder upon the sale or redemption of our common stock, will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax unless the distributions or gains, as the case may be, are effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. stockholder (and, if an income tax treaty applies, are attributable to a permanent establishment maintained by the non-U.S. stockholder in the United States,) or, in the case of an individual, the non-U.S. stockholder was present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and certain other conditions are met.

If we distribute our net capital gains in the form of deemed rather than actual distributions, a stockholder that is a non-U.S. stockholder will be entitled to a U.S. federal income tax credit or tax refund equal to the stockholder’s allocable share of the corporate-level tax we pay on the capital gains deemed to have been

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distributed; however, in order to obtain the refund, the non-U.S. stockholder must obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number and file a U.S. federal income tax return even if the non-U.S. stockholder would not otherwise be required to obtain a U.S. taxpayer identification number or file a U.S. federal income tax return.

For a corporate non-U.S. stockholder, distributions (both actual and deemed), and gains realized upon the sale or redemption of our common stock 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).

Under the dividend reinvestment plan, our stockholders who have not “opted out” of our dividend reinvestment plan will have their cash distributions automatically reinvested in additional shares of our common stock, rather than receiving the cash distributions. If the distribution is a distribution of our investment company taxable income, is not properly designated by us as a short-term capital gains dividend or interest-related dividend (assuming extension of the exemption discussed above), and it is not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. stockholder (and, if a treaty applies, is not attributable to a permanent establishment), the amount distributed (to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits) will be subject to U.S. federal withholding tax at a 30% rate (or lower rate provided by an applicable treaty) and only the net after-tax amount will be reinvested in common shares. If the distribution is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. stockholder, generally the full amount of the distribution will be reinvested in the plan and will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the ordinary income rates applicable to U.S. persons. The non-U.S. stockholder will have an adjusted basis in the additional common shares purchased through the plan equal to the amount reinvested. The additional shares will have a new holding period commencing on the day following the day on which the shares are credited to the non-U.S. stockholder’s account.

Recently enacted legislation that becomes effective after December 31, 2012, generally imposes a 30% withholding tax on payments of certain types of income to foreign financial institutions that fail to enter into an agreement with the United States Treasury to report certain required information with respect to accounts held by United States persons (or held by foreign entities that have United States persons as substantial owners). The types of income subject to the tax include U.S. source interest and dividends and the gross proceeds from the sale of any property that could produce U.S.-source interest or 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 transaction activity within the holder’s account. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, this legislation also imposes a 30% withholding on payments to foreign entities that are not financial institutions unless the foreign entity certifies that it does not have a 10% or greater U.S. owner or provides the withholding agent with identifying information on each 10% or greater U.S. owner. When these provisions become effective, depending on the status of a Non-U.S. Holder and the status of the intermediaries through which they hold their units, Non-U.S. Holders could be subject to this 30% withholding tax with respect to distributions on their units and proceeds from the sale of their units. Under certain circumstances, a Non-U.S. Holder might be eligible for refunds or credits of such taxes.

A Non-U.S. stockholder who is a non-resident alien individual, and who is otherwise subject to withholding of federal tax, may be subject to information reporting and backup withholding of federal income tax on dividends unless the Non-U.S. stockholder provides us 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. stockholder or otherwise establishes an exemption from backup withholding.

Non-U.S. persons should consult their own tax advisers with respect to the U.S. federal income tax and withholding tax, and state, local and foreign tax consequences of an investment in the shares.

Sunset of Reduced Tax Rate Provisions

Several of the tax considerations described under the heading “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” in the accompanying prospectus are subject to sunset provisions. These sunset provisions generally provide that for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, certain provisions in the Code that are currently applicable will revert back to earlier versions of such provisions. As a result, the federal income tax rates applicable to ordinary income, long-term capital gain and qualified dividend income for taxpayers

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taxed at individual rates will increase beginning January 1, 2013, absent congressional action. Consequently, prospective investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of sunset provisions on an investment in our common stock.

Failure to Qualify as a Regulated Investment Company

If we were unable to qualify for treatment as a RIC, we would be subject to tax on all of our taxable income at regular corporate rates, regardless of whether we make any distributions to our stockholders. Distributions would not be required, and any distributions made in taxable years beginning before January 1, 2013 would be taxable to our stockholders as ordinary dividend income, and provided that certain holding periods and other requirements are met, could be eligible for the 15% maximum rate to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. Subject to certain limitations under the Code, corporate distributees would be eligible for the dividends-received deduction. Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits would be treated first as a return of capital to the extent of the stockholder’s tax basis, and any remaining distributions would be treated as a capital gain. To requalify as a RIC in a subsequent taxable year, we would be required to satisfy the RIC qualification requirements for that year and dispose of any earnings and profits from any year in which we failed to qualify as a RIC. Subject to a limited exception applicable to RICs that qualified as such under Subchapter M of the Code for at least one year prior to disqualification and that requalify as a RIC no later than the second year following the non-qualifying year, we could be subject to tax on any unrealized net built-in gains in the assets held by it during the period in which it failed to qualify as a RIC that are recognized within the subsequent 10 years, unless we made a special election to pay corporate-level tax on such built-in gain at the time of its requalification as a RIC.

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DESCRIPTION OF SECURITIES

The following description is based on relevant portions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and on our charter and bylaws.

Stock

The authorized stock of NeXt Innovation consists of 100,000,000 shares of stock, par value $0.01 per share, all of which are initially designated as common stock. We have applied to list our common stock on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the ticker symbol “NEXT.” There are no outstanding options or warrants to purchase our stock. No stock has been authorized for issuance under any equity compensation plans. Under Maryland law, our stockholders generally are not personally liable for our debts or obligations.

The following are our outstanding classes of securities as of March 28, 2011:

     
(1)
Title of Class
  (2)
Amount
Authorized
  (3)
Amount Held by
Us or for Our
Account
  (4)
Amount
Outstanding
Exclusive of
Amounts Shown
Under (3)
Common stock     100,000,000             100  

Under our charter our board of directors is authorized to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or series of stock without obtaining stockholder approval. As permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter provides that the board of directors, without any action by our stockholders, may amend the charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue.

Common Stock

All shares of our common stock have equal rights as to earnings, assets, voting, and dividends and, when they are issued, will be duly authorized, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable. Distributions may be paid to the holders of our common stock if, as and when authorized by our board of directors and declared by us out of assets legally available therefor. Shares of our common stock have no preemptive, conversion or redemption rights and are freely transferable, except where their transfer is restricted by federal and state securities laws or by contract. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, each share of our common stock would be entitled to share ratably in all of our assets that are legally available for distribution after we pay all debts and other liabilities and subject to any preferential rights of holders of our preferred stock, if any preferred stock is outstanding at such time. Each share of our common stock is entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors. Except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of our common stock will possess exclusive voting power. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of our directors, and holders of less than a majority of such shares will be unable to elect any director.

Preferred Stock

Our charter authorizes our board of directors to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or series of stock, including preferred stock. The cost of any such reclassification would be borne by our existing common stockholders. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or series, the board of directors is required by Maryland law and by our charter to set the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Thus, the board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest. You should note, however, that any issuance of preferred stock must comply with the requirements of the 1940 Act. The 1940 Act requires, among other things, that (1) immediately after issuance and before any dividend or other distribution is made with respect to our common stock and before any purchase of common stock is made, such preferred stock together with all other senior securities must not exceed an amount equal to 50% of our gross assets after deducting the amount of such dividend, distribution or

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purchase price, as the case may be, and (2) the holders of shares of preferred stock, if any are issued, must be entitled as a class to elect two directors at all times and to elect a majority of the directors if dividends on such preferred stock are in arrears by two full years or more. Certain matters under the 1940 Act require the separate vote of the holders of any issued and outstanding preferred stock. For example, holders of preferred stock would vote separately from the holders of common stock on a proposal to cease operations as a business development company. We expect that the availability for issuance of preferred stock will provide us with increased flexibility in structuring future financings and acquisitions. However, we do not currently have any plans to issue preferred stock.

Limitation on Liability of Directors and Officers; Indemnification and Advance of Expenses

Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act.

Our charter authorizes us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as our director or officer and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse their reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. Our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as our director or officer and at our request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The charter and bylaws also permit us to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of us in any of the capacities described above and any of our employees or agents or any employees or agents of our predecessor. In accordance with the 1940 Act, we will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received unless, in either, case a court orders indemnification, and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer in advance of final disposition of a proceeding upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written

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undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

We have entered into indemnification agreements with our directors. The indemnification agreements provide our directors the maximum indemnification permitted under Maryland law and the 1940 Act.

Our insurance policy does not currently provide coverage for claims, liabilities and expenses that may arise out of activities that our present or former directors or officers have performed for another entity at our request. There is no assurance that such entities will in fact carry such insurance. However, we note that we do not expect to request our present or former directors or officers to serve another entity as a director, officer, partner or trustee unless we can obtain insurance providing coverage for such persons for any claims, liabilities or expenses that may arise out of their activities while serving in such capacities.

Certain Provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law and Our Charter and Bylaws

The Maryland General Corporation Law and our charter and bylaws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquirer to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, the material ones of which are discussed below. These provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We expect the benefits of these provisions to outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.

Classified Board of Directors

Our board of directors will be divided into three classes of directors serving staggered three-year terms. The initial terms of the first, second and third classes will expire in 2011, 2012, and 2013, respectively, and in each case, those directors will serve until their successors are elected and qualify. Beginning in 2011, upon expiration of their current terms, directors of each class will be elected to serve for three-year terms and until their successors are duly elected and qualify and each year one class of directors will be elected by the stockholders. A classified board may render a change in control of us or removal of our incumbent management more difficult. We believe, however, that the longer time required to elect a majority of a classified board of directors will help to ensure the continuity and stability of our management and policies.

Election of Directors

Our charter and bylaws provide that the affirmative vote of the holders of a plurality of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote in the election of directors cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present will be required to elect a director. Pursuant to our charter our board of directors may amend the bylaws to alter the vote required to elect directors.

Number of Directors; Vacancies; Removal

Our charter provides that the number of directors will be set only by the board of directors in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a majority of our entire board of directors may at any time increase or decrease the number of directors. However, unless our bylaws are amended, the number of directors may never be less than one nor more than nine. Our charter provides that, at such time as we have at least three independent directors and our common stock is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, we elect to be subject to the provision of Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the Maryland General Corporation Law regarding the filling of vacancies on the board of directors. Accordingly, at such time, except as may be provided by the board of directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any and all vacancies on the board of directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies, subject to any applicable requirements of the 1940 Act.

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Our charter provides that a director may be removed only for cause, as defined in our charter, and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast in the election of directors.

Action by Stockholders

Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders or (unless the charter provides for stockholder action by less than unanimous written consent, which our charter does not) by unanimous written consent in lieu of a meeting. These provisions, combined with the requirements of our bylaws regarding the calling of a stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders discussed below, may have the effect of delaying consideration of a stockholder proposal until the next annual meeting.

Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and Stockholder Proposals

Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of persons for election to the board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by the board of directors or (3) by a stockholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice procedures of our bylaws. With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of persons for election to the board of directors at a special meeting may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by the board of directors or (3) provided that the board of directors has determined that directors will be elected at the meeting, by a stockholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of the bylaws.

The purpose of requiring stockholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our board of directors a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our board of directors, to inform stockholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of stockholders. Although our bylaws do not give our board of directors any power to disapprove stockholder nominations for the election of directors or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or the consideration of stockholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our stockholders.

Calling of Special Meetings of Stockholders

Our bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called by our board of directors and certain of our officers. Additionally, our bylaws provide that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the stockholders requesting the meeting, a special meeting of stockholders will be called by the secretary of the corporation upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.

Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of Charter and Bylaws

Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business, unless approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for approval of these matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter generally provides for approval of charter amendments and extraordinary transactions by the stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter also provides that certain charter amendments, any proposal for our conversion, whether by charter amendment, merger or otherwise, from a closed-end company to an open-end company and any proposal for our liquidation or dissolution requires the approval of the stockholders entitled to cast at least 80% of the votes entitled to be cast on such matter. However, if such amendment or proposal is approved by a majority of our continuing directors (in addition to approval by our board of directors), such amendment or proposal may be approved by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on such a matter. The “continuing

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directors” are defined in our charter as (1) our current directors, (2) those directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of our current directors then on the board of directors or (3) any successor directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of continuing directors or the successor continuing directors then in office.

Our charter and bylaws provide that the board of directors will have the exclusive power to make, alter, amend or repeal any provision of our bylaws.

No Appraisal Rights

Except with respect to appraisal rights arising in connection with the Control Share Act discussed below, as permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law, our charter provides that stockholders will not be entitled to exercise appraisal rights unless a majority of the board of directors shall determine such rights apply.

Control Share Acquisitions

The Maryland General Corporation Law provides that control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter (the “Control Share Act”). Shares owned by the acquirer, by officers or by directors who are employees of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. Control shares are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other shares of stock owned by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power:

one-tenth or more but less than one-third;
one-third or more but less than a majority; or
a majority or more of all voting power.

The requisite stockholder approval must be obtained each time an acquirer crosses one of the thresholds of voting power set forth above. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A control share acquisition means the acquisition of control shares, subject to certain exceptions.

A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition may compel the board of directors of the corporation to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. The right to compel the calling of a special meeting is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including an undertaking to pay the expenses of the meeting. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders meeting.

If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then the corporation may redeem for fair value any or all of the control shares, except those for which voting rights have previously been approved. The right of the corporation to redeem control shares is subject to certain conditions and limitations, including, as provided in our bylaws compliance with the 1940 Act. Fair value is determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquirer or of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of the shares are considered and not approved. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders meeting and the acquirer becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquirer in the control share acquisition.

The Control Share Act does not apply (a) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation. Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Act any and all acquisitions by any person of our shares of stock. There can be no assurance that such provision will not be

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amended or eliminated at any time in the future. However, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to the Control Share Act only if the board of directors determines that it would be in our best interests and if the SEC staff does not object to our determination that our being subject to the Control Share Act does not conflict with the 1940 Act.

Business Combinations

Under Maryland law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder (the “Business Combination Act”). These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested stockholder is defined as:

any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s outstanding voting stock; or
an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the corporation.

A person is not an interested stockholder under this statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the stockholder otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board.

After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:

80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and
two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder.

These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under Maryland law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.

The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the board of directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution that any business combination between us and any other person is exempted from the provisions of the Business Combination Act, provided that the business combination is first approved by the board of directors, including a majority of the directors who are not interested persons as defined in the 1940 Act. This resolution may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time; however, our board of directors will adopt resolutions so as to make us subject to the provisions of the Business Combination Act only if the board of directors determines that it would be in our best interests and if the SEC staff does not object to our determination that our being subject to the Business Combination Act does not conflict with the 1940 Act. If this resolution is repealed, or the board of directors does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.

Conflict with 1940 Act

Our bylaws provide that, if and to the extent that any provision of the Maryland General Corporation Law, including the Control Share Act (if we amend our bylaws to be subject to such Act) and the Business Combination Act, or any provision of our charter or bylaws conflicts with any provision of the 1940 Act, the applicable provision of the 1940 Act will control.

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UNDERWRITING

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Lazard Capital Markets LLC are acting as representatives of the underwriters named below. Subject to the terms and conditions stated in the underwriting agreement dated the date of this Prospectus, each underwriter named below has agreed to purchase, and we have agreed to sell to that underwriter, the number of shares set forth opposite the underwriter’s name.

 
Underwriters   Shares
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.      
Lazard Capital Markets LLC      
Maxim Group LLC      
Merriman Capital, Inc.      
National Securities Corporation         
Northland Capital Markets         
Rodman & Renshaw, LLC         
Aegis Capital Corp.         
Anderson & Strudwick Inc.         
Newbridge Securities Corp.      
               
Total             

The underwriting agreement provides that the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the shares included in this offering are subject to approval of legal matters by counsel and to other conditions. The underwriters are obligated to purchase all the shares (other than those covered by the overallotment option described below) if they purchase any of the shares.

The underwriters propose to offer some of the shares directly to the public at the public offering price set forth on the cover page of this Prospectus and some of the shares to dealers at the public offering price less a concession not to exceed $     per share. The underwriting discount of $1.05 per share is equal to 7.00% of the initial offering price. The representatives have advised us that the underwriters do not intend to confirm any sales to any accounts over which they exercise discretionary authority.

The underwriters hold an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of this Prospectus, to purchase up to an additional 525,000 shares at the public offering price from us. The underwriters may exercise the option solely for the purpose of covering overallotments, if any, in connection with this offering. To the extent such option is exercised, each underwriter must purchase a number of additional shares approximately proportionate to that underwriter’s initial purchase commitment.

NeXt Innovation and each of our directors and officers has agreed that, for a period of 180 days from the date of this Prospectus, such party will not, without the prior written consent of Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Lazard Capital Markets LLC, on behalf of the underwriters, offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell or otherwise dispose of or agree to sell or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly or hedge any shares or any securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares, provided, however, NeXt Innovation may issue and sell shares pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan. Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Lazard Capital Markets LLC in their discretion may release any of the securities subject to these lock-up agreements at any time without notice.

The 180-day period in the preceding paragraph will be extended if (i) during the last 17 days of the 180-day period we issue an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to NeXt Innovation occurs or (ii) prior to the expiration of the 180-day period, we announce that we will release earnings results during the 16-day period beginning on the last day of the 180-day period, in which case the restrictions described in the preceding sentence will continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the issuance of the earnings release or the announcement of the material news or the occurrence of the material event.

Our shares will be listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol “NEXT,” subject to notice of issuance.

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The following table shows the underwriting discounts to be paid to the underwriters in connection with this offering. These amounts are shown assuming both no exercise and full exercise of the underwriters’ option to purchase additional shares. This offering will conform with the requirements set forth in Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Rule 2310. In accordance with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Rule 2310, the sum of all compensation to the underwriters in connection with this offering of shares, including the underwriting discount, will not exceed 10% of the total public offering price of the shares sold in this offering.

   
  No Exercise   Full Exercise
Per Common Share   $          $       
Total   $          $       

NeXt Innovation and our investment adviser have each agreed to indemnify the underwriters against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make because of any of those liabilities.

Certain underwriters may make a market in the shares. No underwriter is, however, obligated to conduct market-making activities and any such activities may be discontinued at any time without notice, at the sole discretion of the underwriter. No assurance can be given as to the liquidity of, or the trading market for, the shares as a result of any market-making activities undertaken by any underwriter. This Prospectus is to be used by any underwriter in connection with the offering and, during the period in which a prospectus must be delivered, with offers and sales of the shares in market-making transactions in the over-the-counter market at negotiated prices related to prevailing market prices at the time of the sale.

In connection with the offering, Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Lazard Capital Markets LLC, on behalf of the underwriters, may purchase and sell shares in the open market during the distribution of shares being offered by this prospectus. These transactions may include short sales, syndicate covering transactions and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve syndicate sales of shares of shares in excess of the number of shares to be purchased by the underwriters in the offering, which creates a syndicate short position. “Covered” short sales are sales of shares made in an amount up to the number of shares represented by the underwriters’ overallotment option. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered syndicate short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the overallotment option. Transactions to close out the covered syndicate short position involve either purchases of shares in the open market after the distribution has been completed or the exercise of the overallotment option. The underwriters may also make “naked” short sales of shares in excess of the overallotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids for or purchases of shares in the open market while the offering is in progress.

The underwriters also may impose a penalty bid. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. or Lazard Capital Markets LLC repurchase shares originally sold by that syndicate member in order to cover syndicate short positions or make stabilizing purchases.

Any of these activities may have the effect of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of shares. They may also cause the price of shares to be higher than the price that would otherwise exist in the open market in the absence of these transactions. The underwriters may conduct these transactions on the NASDAQ Capital Market, or in the over-the-counter market, or otherwise. If the underwriters commence any of these transactions, they may discontinue them at any time.

We estimate that our portion of the total expenses of this offering, excluding the underwriting discounts, will be approximately $550,000.

A prospectus in electronic format may be made available on the websites maintained by one or more of the underwriters. The representatives may agree to allocate a number of shares to underwriters for sale to their online brokerage account holders. The representatives will allocate shares to underwriters that may make

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Internet distributions on the same basis as other allocations. In addition, shares may be sold by the underwriters to securities dealers who resell shares to online brokerage account holders.

We anticipate that, from time to time, certain underwriters may act as brokers or dealers in connection with the execution of NeXt Innovation’s portfolio transactions after they have ceased to be underwriters and, subject to certain restrictions, may act as brokers while they are underwriters.

The principal business address of Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. is 520 Madison Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10022. Northland Capital Markets is the trade name for certain capital markets activities and investment banking services of Northland Securities, Inc., a member of FINRA/SIPC.

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CUSTODIAN, TRANSFER AND DISTRIBUTION PAYING AGENT AND REGISTRAR

Our securities will be held under a custody agreement by U.S. Bank National Association. The address of the custodian is One Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110. American Stock Transfer & Trust Company will act as our transfer agent, distribution paying agent and registrar. The principal business address of our transfer agent is 59 Maiden Lane, New York, New York 10038, telephone number: (800) 937-5449.

BROKERAGE ALLOCATION AND OTHER PRACTICES

Since we will generally acquire and dispose of our investments in privately negotiated transactions, including in connection with private secondary market transactions, we will infrequently use brokers in the normal course of our business. Subject to policies established by our board of directors, our investment adviser will be primarily responsible for the execution of the publicly traded securities portion of our portfolio transactions and the allocation of brokerage commissions. Our investment adviser does not expect to execute transactions through any particular broker or dealer, but will seek to obtain the best net results for NeXt Innovation, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities. While our investment adviser generally will seek reasonably competitive trade execution costs, NeXt Innovation will not necessarily pay the lowest spread or commission available. Subject to applicable legal requirements, our investment adviser may select a broker based partly upon brokerage or research services provided to the investment adviser and NeXt Innovation and any other clients. In return for such services, we may pay a higher commission than other brokers would charge if the investment adviser determines in good faith that such commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters in connection with the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, Washington, DC. Certain legal matters in connection with the offering will be passed upon for the underwriters by Blank Rome LLP, New York, New York.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The statement of assets and liabilities as of February 28, 2011, included in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement have been so included in reliance upon the report of Grant Thornton LLP, independent registered public accountants located at One California Street, Suite 2300, San Francisco, California 94111, upon the authority of said firm as experts in giving said report.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

We have filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form N-2, together with all amendments and related exhibits, under the Securities Act, with respect to our shares of common stock offered by this prospectus. The registration statement contains additional information about us and our shares of common stock being offered by this prospectus.

Upon the completion of this offering, we will file with or submit to the SEC annual, quarterly and current periodic reports, proxy statements and other information meeting the informational requirements of the Exchange Act. You may inspect and copy these reports, proxy statements and other information, as well as the registration statement and related exhibits and schedules, at the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information filed electronically by us with the SEC which are available on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of these reports, proxy and information statements and other information may be obtained, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing to the SEC’s Public Reference Section, Washington, D.C. 20549. This information will also be available free of charge by contacting us at NeXt Innovation Corp., 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062, by telephone at (650) 206-2965, or on our website at http://www.nextinnovationcorp.com.

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INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 
  Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm     F-2  
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of February 28, 2011     F-3  
Notes to Statement of Assets and Liabilities     F-4  

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

Board of Directors and Shareholder
NeXt Innovation Corp.
(formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.)

We have audited the accompanying statement of assets and liabilities of NeXt Innovation Corp. (a Maryland corporation) (a development stage company) (formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.) as of February 28, 2011. This financial statement is the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on this financial statement based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statement is free of material misstatement. The Company is not required to have, nor were we engaged to perform an audit of its internal control over financial reporting. Our audit included consideration of internal control over financial reporting as a basis for designing audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Accordingly, we express no such opinion. An audit also includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statement, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the financial statement referred to above presents fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of NeXt Innovation Corp. (a development stage company) (formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.) as of February 28, 2011 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP

San Francisco, CA
March 29, 2011

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NeXt Innovation Corp.
(A Development Stage Company)
(formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.)

STATEMENT of ASSETS and LIABILITIES

February 28, 2011

ASSETS

 
     2011
ASSETS:
        
Cash and cash equivalents   $ 1,500  
Deferred offering costs     168,546  
TOTAL ASSETS   $ 170,046  

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSET DEFICIT

 
     2011
LIABILITIES:
        
Accrued expenses   $ 129,621  
Due to related parties     50,933  
TOTAL LIABILITIES   $ 180,554  
NET ASSET DEFICIT:
        
Common stock, 100,000,000 shares authorized, 100 shares issued and outstanding $0.01 per share par value   $ 1  
Additional paid in capital     1,499  
Accumulated investment loss     (12,008 ) 
Net Asset Deficit     (10,508 ) 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND NET ASSET DEFICIT   $ 170,046  
NET ASSET VALUE PER SHARE   $ (105 ) 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of this financial statement.

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NeXt Innovation Corp.
(A Development Stage Company)
(formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.)

NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

February 28, 2011

NOTE 1 — NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of operations

NeXt Innovation Corp. (the “Company”) was formed in September 2010 as a Maryland corporation structured as an externally managed, non-diversified closed-end management investment company. The Company intends to elect to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, or the 1940 Act, prior to pricing of its initial public offering. The Company will be managed by NeXt Asset Management, LLC (“NeXt Asset Management”).

As of February 28, 2011, the Company has not yet begun commercial operations. All of the outstanding shares are owned by an officer of the Company who is also a principal of NeXt Asset Management.

The Company’s investment objective is to maximize capital appreciation. The Company will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in privately held high growth venture backed companies and select mid cap and large cap publicly traded companies.

On March 28, 2011, the board of directors of the Company approved Articles of Amendment and Restatement, reflecting a change in the Company’s name from NeXt BDC Capital Corp. to NeXt Innovation Corp., which Articles of Amendment and Restatement became effective upon filing with the State Department of Assessment and Taxation of the State of Maryland on March 29, 2011.

Summary Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying statement of assets and liabilities has been prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of bank demand deposits.

U.S. Federal Income Taxes

The Company intends to elect to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and to operate in a manner so as to qualify for the tax treatment applicable to RICs. In order to qualify as a RIC, among other things, the Company is required to timely distribute to its stockholders at least 90% of investment company taxable income, as defined by the Code, for each year. So long as the Company maintains its status as a RIC, it generally will not pay corporate-level U.S. federal income taxes on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. Rather, any tax liability related to income earned by the Company represents obligations of the Company’s investors and will not be reflected in the financial statements of the Company.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the statement of assets and liabilities in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements. Changes in the economic environment, financial markets and any other parameters used in determining these estimates could cause actual results to differ materially.

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NeXt Innovation Corp.
(A Development Stage Company)
(formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.)

NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

February 28, 2011

NOTE 1 — NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (concluded)

Organization and offering costs

Organization costs include costs relating to the formation and incorporation of the business. These costs are expensed as incurred. As of February 28, 2011, the Company has incurred and expensed organization costs of $12,008.

Offering costs include legal fees and other costs pertaining to the registration statement. These costs have been deferred and will be offset against capital proceeds from the initial public offering. As of February 28, 2011, these costs amount to $168,546.

In the event that the Company’s initial public offering is not completed, these organization and offering costs will be borne by its officers and certain of its directors.

New Accounting Standards

Management does not believe any recently issued, but not yet effective, accounting standards, if currently adopted, would have a material effect on the accompanying financial statement.

NOTE 2 — RELATED PARTY ARRANGEMENTS

Investment Advisory Agreement

The Company will enter into an investment advisory agreement with NeXt Asset Management (the “Advisory Agreement”) in connection with its initial public offering. Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, NeXt Asset Management will be paid a base annual fee of 2% of gross assets, and an annual incentive fee equal to the lesser of (i) 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains during each calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and (ii) 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees. As of the date of this financial statement, no services have been performed by NeXt Asset Management, and no fees have been paid or accrued.

As of the date of this financial statement, NeXt Asset Management advanced $570 for the benefit of the Company.

Certain officers of the Company are also principals of NeXt Asset Management.

Advances made on behalf of the Company by its officers or directors for organizational and offering costs amount to $50,933.

Administration Agreement

The Company will enter into an administration agreement with NeXt Innovation Service Company (the “Administration Agreement”) to provide administrative services, including furnishing the Company with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping record keeping services and other administrative services, in connection with its initial public offering. The Company will reimburse NeXt Innovation Service Company an allocable portion of overhead and other expenses in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement. As of the date of this financial statement, no services have been performed by NeXt Innovation Service Company, and no fees have been paid or accrued.

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NeXt Innovation Corp.
(A Development Stage Company)
(formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.)

NOTES TO THE STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES

February 28, 2011

NOTE 3 — SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

On March 28, 2011, the board of directors of the Company approved Articles of Amendment and Restatement, reflecting a change in the Company’s name from NeXt BDC Capital Corp. to NeXt Innovation Corp., which Articles of Amendment and Restatement became effective upon filing with the State Department of Assessment and Taxation of the State of Maryland on March 29, 2011.

On March 28, 2011, the board of directors of the Company approved the form of the Advisory Agreement and Administration Agreement.

The Company evaluated subsequent events through March 29, 2011, the date the statement of assets and liabilities were available for issuance.

NOTE 4 — INDEMNIFICATION

Under the Company’s organizational documents, its officers and directors are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the Company. In addition, in the normal course of business the Company enters into contracts that contain a variety of representations which provide general indemnifications. The Company’s maximum exposure under these agreements cannot be known; however, the Company expects any risk of loss to be remote.

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3,500,000 Shares

[GRAPHIC MISSING]

NeXt Innovation Corp.

  
  

Common Stock



 

P R E L I M I N A R Y  P R O S P E C T U S

            , 2011



 

  
  
  

 
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.   Lazard Capital Markets
Joint Bookrunning Managers


 

Maxim Group LLC

Merriman Capital

          National Securities Corporation

                    Northland Capital Markets

Rodman & Renshaw, LLC

   
Aegis Capital Corp.   Anderson & Strudwick   Newbridge Securities Corp.


 
 

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PART C — OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 25. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS

1. Financial Statements

The following financial statements of NeXt Innovation Corp. (the “Registrant” or the “Company”) are included in Part A “Information Required to be in the Prospectus” of the Registration Statement.

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

 
  Page
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm     F-2  
Statement of Assets and Liabilities as of February 28, 2011     F-3  
Notes to Statement of Assets and Liabilities     F-4  

2. Exhibits

 
Exhibit
Number
  Description
a.     Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation
b.     Bylaws
d.1   Form of Common Stock Certificate
e.     Dividend Reinvestment Plan
g.     Form of Investment Advisory Agreement by and between Registrant and NeXt Asset Management, LLC
h.     Form of Underwriting Agreement
j.     Form of Custodian Agreement
k.1   Form of Administration Agreement by and between Registrant and NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC
k.2   Form of Indemnification Agreement by and between Registrant and each of its directors
l.     Opinion of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP*
n.1   Consent of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP (Incorporated by reference to exhibit l hereto)*
n.2   Consent of Grant Thornton LLP
r.     Code of Ethics

* To be filed by amendment.

ITEM 26. MARKETING ARRANGEMENTS

The information contained under the heading “Underwriting” on this Registration Statement is incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 27. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION

 
SEC registration fee   $ 7,009.54  
FINRA filing fee   $ 6,537.50  
NASDAQ Capital Market   $ 5,000.00  
Printing and postage   $ 100,000.00  
Legal fees and expenses   $ 300,000.00  
Accounting fees and expenses   $ 100,000.00  
Miscellaneous   $ 31,452.96  
Total   $ 550,000.00  

Note:  All listed amounts are estimates.

* To be provided by amendment.

ITEM 28. PERSONS CONTROLLED BY OR UNDER COMMON CONTROL

Immediately prior to the pricing of this offering, Michael T. Moe will own 100% of the outstanding common stock of the Registrant. Following the completion of this offering, Michael T. Moe’s share ownership is expected to represent less than 1% of the Registrant’s outstanding common stock.

See “Management,” “Certain Relationships and Transactions” and “Control Persons and Principal Stockholders” in the Prospectus contained herein.

ITEM 29. NUMBER OF HOLDERS OF SECURITIES

The following table sets forth the number of record holders of the Registrant’s common stock at March 28, 2011:

 
Title of Class   Number of
Record
Holders
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share     1  

ITEM 30. INDEMNIFICATION

Directors and Officers

Reference is made to Section 2-418 of the Maryland General Corporation Law, Article VII of the Registrant’s charter and Article XI of the Registrant’s Amended and Restated Bylaws.

Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. The Registrant’s charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, subject to the requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”).

The Registrant’s charter authorizes the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as the Registrant’s director or officer and at the Registrant’s request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse their reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The Registrant’s bylaws obligate the Registrant, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and subject to the requirements of the 1940 Act, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while serving as the Registrant’s director or officer and at the Registrant’s request, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other

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enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that person may become subject or which that person may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. The charter and bylaws also permit the Registrant to indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of the Registrant in any of the capacities described above and any of the Registrant’s employees or agents or any employees or agents of the Registrant’s predecessor. In accordance with the 1940 Act, the Registrant will not indemnify any person for any liability to which such person would be subject by reason of such person’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which the Registrant’s charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (1) was committed in bad faith or (2) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received unless, in either case, a court orders indemnification, and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer in advance of final disposition of a proceeding upon the corporation’s receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met.

Adviser and Administrator

The Investment Advisory Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, NeXt Asset Management, LLC (the “investment adviser”) and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from the Registrant for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of the investment adviser’s services under the Investment Advisory Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Registrant.

The Administration Agreement provides that, absent willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of its duties and obligations, NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC and its officers, managers, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with it are entitled to indemnification from the Registrant for any damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) arising from the rendering of NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC’s services under the Administration Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Registrant.

The law also provides for comparable indemnification for corporate officers and agents. Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities 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 Securities 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

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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 Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

The Registrant has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors. The indemnification agreements are intended to provide the Registrant’s directors the maximum indemnification permitted under Maryland law and the 1940 Act. Each indemnification agreement provides that the Registrant shall indemnify the director who is a party to the agreement (an “Indemnitee”), including the advancement of legal expenses, if, by reason of his or her corporate status, the Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened, pending, or completed proceeding, other than a proceeding by or in the right of the Registrant.

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, and each managing director, director or executive officer of the investment adviser, is or has been during the past two fiscal years, engaged in for his or her own account or in the capacity of director, officer, employee, partner or trustee, is set forth in Part A of this Registration Statement in the sections entitled “Management — Board of Directors,” “Investment Advisory Agreement” and “Portfolio Management  — Investment Personnel.” Additional information regarding the investment adviser and its officers and directors will be set forth in its Form ADV, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC File No. 801-71749), under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 32. LOCATION OF ACCOUNTS AND RECORDS

All accounts, books, and other documents required to be maintained by Section 31(a) of the 1940 Act, and the rules thereunder are maintained at the offices of:

(1) the Registrant, NeXt Innovation Corp., 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062;
(2) the Transfer Agent, American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 59 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038;
(3) the Custodian, U.S. Bank National Association, One Federal Street, Boston, MA, 02110; and
(4) the investment adviser, NeXt Asset Management, LLC, 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, CA 94062.

ITEM 33. MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Not applicable.

ITEM 34. UNDERTAKINGS

(1) Registrant undertakes to suspend the offering of the shares of common stock covered hereby until it amends its prospectus contained herein if (a) subsequent to the effective date of this Registration Statement, its net asset value per share of common stock declines more than 10% from its net asset value per share of common stock as of the effective date of this Registration Statement, or (b) its net asset value per share of common stock increases to an amount greater than its net proceeds as stated in the prospectus contained herein.
(2) Not applicable.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) Not applicable.

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(5) Registrant undertakes that:
(a) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of the Registration Statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in the form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 497(h) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, shall be deemed to be part of this Registration Statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(b) For purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to a new registration statement relating to the securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.
(6) Not applicable.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused Amendment No. 2 to this Registration Statement on Form N-2 to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Woodside, in the State of California, on the 29th day of March, 2011.

NEXT INNOVATION CORP.

By: /s/ Michael T. Moe
Michael T. Moe
President, Chief Executive Officer and
Chairman of the Board of Directors

POWER OF ATTORNEY

The undersigned directors and officers of NeXt Innovation Corp. hereby constitute and appoint Michael T. Moe and Stephen D. Bard and each of them with full power to act without the other and with full power of substitution and resubstitution, our true and lawful attorneys-in-fact with full power to execute in our name and behalf in the capacities indicated below this Registration Statement on Form N-2 and any and all amendments thereto, including post-effective amendments to this Registration Statement and to sign any and all additional registration statements relating to the same offering of securities as this Registration Statement that are filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) of the Securities Act of 1933, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission and thereby ratify and confirm that all such attorneys-in-fact, or any of them, or their substitutes shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, Amendment No. 2 to this Registration Statement on Form N-2 has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant, and in the capacities indicated, on the 29th day of March, 2011.

 
Signature   Title
 /s/ Michael T. Moe
 Michael T. Moe
  President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors (Principal Executive Officer)
 /s/ Stephen D. Bard
 Stephen D. Bard
  Chief Financial Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Treasurer and Corporate Secretary (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
 *
 Mark D. Klein
  Director
 *
 Leonard A. Potter
  Director
 *
 Mark W. Flynn
  Director
 /s/ R. David Spreng
 R. David Spreng
  Director
* Signed by Michael T. Moe pursuant to a power of attorney signed by each individual and filed with this Registration Statement on January 7, 2011.


Exhibit a.
 
NEXT BDC CAPITAL CORP.
 
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT
 
FIRST: NeXt BDC Capital Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), desires to amend and restate its charter as currently in effect and as hereinafter amended.
 
SECOND: The following provisions are all the provisions of the charter currently in effect and as hereinafter amended:
 
ARTICLE I
 
NAME
 
The name of the corporation (the “Corporation”) is NeXt Innovation Corp.
 
ARTICLE II
 
PURPOSES
 
The purposes for which the Corporation is formed are to engage in any lawful act or activity for which corporations may be organized under the general laws of the State of Maryland as now or hereafter in force, including, without limitation or obligation, engaging in business as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”).
 
ARTICLE III
 
RESIDENT AGENT AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE
 
The name of the resident agent of the Corporation in Maryland is CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, whose address is 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 1660, Baltimore, MD 21202. The address of the principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland is c/o CSC-Lawyers Incorporating Service Company, whose address is 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 1660, Baltimore, MD 21202.
 
ARTICLE IV
 
PROVISIONS FOR DEFINING, LIMITING
AND REGULATING CERTAIN POWERS OF THE
CORPORATION AND OF THE STOCKHOLDERS AND DIRECTORS
 
Section 4.1 Number, Vacancies and Classification of Directors. The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of the Board of Directors. The number of directors of the Corporation is five, which number may be increased or decreased only by the Board of Directors pursuant to the Bylaws, but shall never be less than the minimum number required by the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”). The names of the directors who shall serve until the first annual meeting of stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualify are:
 
 
 

 
 
Michael T. Moe
Mark D. Klein
Leonard A. Potter
Mark W. Flynn
R. David Spreng

These directors may increase the number of directors and may fill any vacancy, whether resulting from an increase in the number of directors or otherwise, on the Board of Directors occurring before the first annual meeting of stockholders in the manner provided in the Bylaws.
 
The Corporation elects, at such time as the Corporation becomes eligible to make an election provided for under Section 3-802(b) of the MGCL, that, subject to applicable requirements of the 1940 Act and except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of Preferred Stock (as hereinafter defined), any and all vacancies on the Board of Directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which such vacancy occurred and until a successor is duly elected and qualifies.
 
On the first date on which the Corporation shall have more than one stockholder of record, the directors (other than any director elected solely by holders of one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock in connection with dividend arrearages) shall be classified, with respect to the terms for which they severally hold office, into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible as determined by the Board of Directors, one class to hold office initially for a term expiring at the next succeeding annual meeting of stockholders, another class to hold office initially for a term expiring at the second succeeding annual meeting of stockholders and another class to hold office initially for a term expiring at the third succeeding annual meeting of stockholders, with the members of each class to hold office until their successors are duly elected and qualify. At each annual meeting of the stockholders, the successors to the class of directors whose term expires at such meeting shall be elected to hold office for a term expiring at the annual meeting of stockholders held in the third year following the year of their election and until their successors are duly elected and qualify.
 
Section 4.2 Extraordinary Actions. Except as specifically provided in Section 4.9 and in Section 6.2 of the charter of the Corporation (the “Charter”), notwithstanding any provision of law requiring any action to be taken or approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of shares entitled to cast a greater number of votes, any such action shall be effective and valid if declared advisable and approved by the Board of Directors and taken or approved by the affirmative vote of holders of shares entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

Section 4.3 Election of Directors. Except as otherwise provided in the Bylaws of the Corporation, each director shall be elected by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of stock outstanding and entitled to vote thereon.
 
 
 

 
 
Section 4.4 Quorum. The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class) shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of stockholders, except with respect to any such matter that, under applicable statutes or regulatory requirements or the Charter, requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes or series of stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by such classes or series on such a matter shall constitute a quorum. To the extent permitted by Maryland law as in effect from time to time, the foregoing quorum provision may be changed by the Bylaws.
 
Section 4.5 Authorization by Board of Stock Issuance. The Board of Directors may authorize the issuance from time to time of shares of stock of the Corporation of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, or securities or rights convertible into shares of its stock of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, for such consideration as the Board of Directors may deem advisable (or without consideration in the case of a stock split or stock dividend), subject to such restrictions or limitations, if any, as may be set forth in the Bylaws.
 
Section 4.6 Preemptive Rights. Except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of classified or reclassified shares of stock pursuant to Section 5.4 or as may otherwise be provided by contract, no holder of shares of stock of the Corporation shall, as such holder, have any preemptive right to purchase or subscribe for any additional shares of stock of the Corporation or any other security of the Corporation which it may issue or sell.
 
Section 4.7 Appraisal Rights. No holder of stock of the Corporation shall be entitled to exercise the rights of an objecting stockholder under Title 3, Subtitle 2 of the MGCL or any successor provision thereto unless the Board of Directors, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the entire Board of Directors, shall determine that such rights apply, with respect to all or any classes or series of stock, or any proportion of the shares thereof, to a particular transaction or all transactions occurring after the date of such determination in connection with which holders of such shares would otherwise be entitled to exercise such rights.
 
Section 4.8 Determinations by Board. The determination as to any of the following matters, made in good faith by or pursuant to the direction of the Board of Directors consistent with the Charter, shall be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Corporation and every holder of shares of its stock:  the amount of the net income of the Corporation for any period and the amount of assets at any time legally available for the payment of dividends, redemption of its stock or the payment of other distributions on its stock; the amount of paid-in surplus, net assets, other surplus, annual or other cash flow, net profit, net assets in excess of capital, undivided profits or excess of profits over losses on sales of assets; the amount, purpose, time of creation, increase or decrease, alteration or cancellation of any reserves or charges and the propriety thereof (whether or not any obligation or liability for which such reserves or charges shall have been created shall have  been paid or discharged); any interpretation of the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers or rights, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of any class or series of stock of the Corporation; the fair value, or any sale, bid or asked price to be applied in determining the fair value, of any asset owned or held by the Corporation or of any shares of stock of the Corporation; the number of shares of stock of any class of the Corporation; any matter relating to the acquisition, holding and disposition of any assets by the Corporation; or any other matter relating to the business and affairs of the Corporation or required or permitted by applicable law, the Charter or Bylaws or otherwise to be determined by the Board of Directors.
 
 
 

 
 
Section 4.9 Removal of Directors. Subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of Preferred Stock to elect or remove one or more directors, any director, or the entire Board of Directors, may be removed from office at any time only for cause and only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. For the purpose of this paragraph, “cause” shall mean, with respect to any particular director, conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such director caused demonstrable, material harm to the Corporation through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty.
 
ARTICLE V
 
STOCK
 
Section 5.1 Authorized Shares. The Corporation has authority to issue 100,000,000 shares of stock, initially consisting of 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share (“Common Stock”). The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $100,000,000. If shares of one class of stock are classified or reclassified into shares of another class or series of stock pursuant to this Article V, the number of authorized shares of the former class or series shall be automatically decreased and the number of shares of the latter class or series shall be automatically increased, in each case by the number of shares so classified or reclassified, so that the aggregate number of shares of stock of all classes and series that the Corporation has authority to issue shall not be more than the total number of shares of stock set forth in the first sentence of this paragraph. A majority of the entire Board of Directors, without any action by the stockholders of the Corporation, may amend the Charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that the Corporation has authority to issue.
 
Section 5.2 Common Stock. Each share of Common Stock shall entitle the holder thereof to one vote. The Board of Directors may reclassify any unissued shares of Common Stock from time to time into one or more classes or series of stock.
 
Section 5.3 Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors may classify any unissued shares of stock and reclassify any previously classified but unissued shares of stock of any class or series from time to time, into one or more classes or series of stock, including Preferred Stock (“Preferred Stock”).
 
 
 

 
 
Section 5.4 Classified or Reclassified Shares. Prior to issuance of classified or reclassified shares of any class or series, the Board of Directors by resolution shall: (a) designate that class or series to distinguish it from all other classes and series of stock of the Corporation; (b) specify the number of shares to be included in the class or series; (c) set or change, subject to the express terms of any class or series of stock of the Corporation outstanding at the time, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series; and (d) cause the Corporation to file articles supplementary with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (“SDAT”). Any of the terms of any class or series of stock may be made dependent upon facts or events ascertainable outside the Charter (including determinations by the Board of Directors or other facts or events within the control of the Corporation) and may vary among holders thereof, provided that the manner in which such facts, events or variations shall operate upon the terms of such class or series of stock is clearly and expressly set forth in the Charter document filed with the SDAT.
 
Section 5.5 Inspection of Books and Records. A stockholder that is otherwise eligible under applicable law to inspect the Corporation’s books of account, stock ledger, or other specified documents of the Corporation shall have no right to make such inspection if the Board of Directors determines that such stockholder has an improper purpose for requesting such inspection.
 
Section 5.6 Charter and Bylaws. All persons who shall acquire stock in the Corporation shall acquire the same subject to the provisions of the Charter and the Bylaws. The Board of Directors of the Corporation shall have the exclusive power, at any time, to make, alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws.
 
ARTICLE VI
 
AMENDMENTS; CERTAIN EXTRAORDINARY TRANSACTIONS
 
Section 6.1 Amendments Generally.  The Corporation reserves the right from time to time to make any amendment to its Charter, now or hereafter authorized by law, including any amendment altering the terms or contract rights, as expressly set forth in the Charter, of any shares of outstanding stock.  All rights and powers conferred by the Charter on stockholders, directors and officers are granted subject to this reservation.
 
Section 6.2 Approval of Certain Extraordinary Actions and Charter Amendments.
 
(a)          Required Votes.  The affirmative vote of the holders of shares entitled to cast at least 80 percent of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, each voting as a separate class, shall be necessary to effect:
 
(i)           Any amendment to the Charter to make the Corporation’s Common Stock a “redeemable security” or to convert the Corporation, whether by merger or otherwise, from a “closed-end company” to an “open-end company” (as such terms are defined in the 1940 Act);
 
 
 

 
 
(ii)          The liquidation or dissolution of the Corporation and any amendment to the Charter to effect any such liquidation or dissolution;
 
(iii)         Any amendment to, or any amendment inconsistent with the provisions of, Section 4.1, Section 4.2, Section 4.9, Section 6.1 or this Section 6.2;
 
(iv)         Any merger, consolidation, share exchange or sale or exchange of all or substantially all of the assets of the Corporation that the MGCL requires be approved by the stockholders of the Corporation; and
 
(v)          Any transaction between the Corporation and a person, or group of persons acting together (including, without limitation, a “group” for purposes of Section 13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or any successor provision), and any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with any such person or member of such group, that is entitled to exercise or direct the exercise, or acquire the right to exercise or direct the exercise, directly or indirectly, other than solely by virtue of a revocable proxy, of one-tenth or more of the voting power in the election of directors generally;
 
provided, however, that, if the Continuing Directors (as defined herein), by a vote of at least majority of such Continuing Directors, in addition to approval by the Board of Directors, approve such proposal, transaction or amendment, the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the votes entitled to be cast shall be sufficient to approve such proposal, transaction or amendment; and provided further, that, with respect to any transaction referred to in (a)(v) above, if such transaction is approved by the Continuing Directors, by a vote of at least two-thirds of such Continuing Directors, no stockholder approval of such transaction shall be required unless the MGCL or another provision of the Charter or Bylaws otherwise requires such approval.
 
(b)          Continuing Directors.  “Continuing Directors” means (i) the directors identified in Section 4.1, (ii) the directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies on the Board is approved by a majority of the directors identified in Section 4.1, who are on the Board at the time of the nomination or election, as applicable, or (iii) any successor directors whose nomination for election by the stockholders or whose election by the directors to fill vacancies is approved by a majority of the Continuing Directors or successor Continuing Directors, who are on the Board at the time of the nomination or election, as applicable.
 
ARTICLE VII
 
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION
AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES
 
Section 7.1 Limitation of Liability. To the maximum extent that Maryland law in effect from time to time permits limitation of the liability of directors and officers of a corporation, no present or former director or officer of the Corporation shall be liable to the Corporation or its stockholders for money damages.
 
 
 

 
 
Section 7.2 Indemnification and Advance of Expenses. The Corporation shall have the power, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to obligate itself to indemnify, and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to, (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation or (b) any individual who, while a director or officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner or trustee of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise from and against any claim or liability to which such person may become subject or which such person may incur by reason of his or her service in such capacity. The Corporation shall have the power, with the approval of the Board of Directors, to provide such indemnification and advancement of expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation.
 
Section 7.3 1940 Act. The provisions of this Article VII shall be subject to the limitations of the 1940 Act.

Section 7.4 Amendment or Repeal. Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article VII, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Charter or Bylaws inconsistent with this Article VII, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding sections of this Article VII with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.
 
THIRD: The amendment to and restatement of the charter as hereinabove set forth have been duly advised by the Board of Directors and approved by the stockholders of the Corporation as required by law.
 
FOURTH: The current address of the principal office of the Corporation is as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
 
FIFTH: The name and address of the Corporation’s current resident agent is as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
 
SIXTH: The number of directors of the Corporation and the names of those currently in office are as set forth in Article IV of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
 
SEVENTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation had authority to issue immediately prior to this amendment and restatement was 20,000,000, consisting of 20,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share. The aggregate par value of all shares of stock having par value was $200,000.
 
EIGHTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Corporation has authority to issue pursuant to the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter is 100,000,000 shares of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share. The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $1,000,000.
 
 
 

 
 
NINTH: The undersigned President and Chief Executive Officer acknowledges these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be the corporate act of the Corporation and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned President and Chief Executive Officer acknowledges that, to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
 
 
 

 
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Corporation has caused these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its President and Chief Executive Officer and attested to by its Secretary on this 28th day of March, 2011.

ATTEST:
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
     
/s/   Stephen D. Bard
 
By:
/s/ Michael T. Moe (SEAL)
Stephen D. Bard
   
Michael Moe
Secretary
   
President and
     
Chief Executive Officer

 
 

 
Exhibit b.

NEXT INNOVATION CORP.

BYLAWS

January 6, 2011

ARTICLE I

OFFICES

Section 1.              PRINCIPAL OFFICE.  The principal office of the Corporation in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Directors may designate.

Section 2.              ADDITIONAL OFFICES.  The Corporation may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board of Directors may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

ARTICLE II

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1.              PLACE.  All meetings of stockholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation or at such other place as shall be set by the Board of Directors and stated in the notice of the meeting.

Section 2.              ANNUAL MEETING.  Commencing with the 2011 annual meeting of stockholders of the Corporation, an annual meeting of the stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any business within the powers of the Corporation shall be held on a date and at the time set by the Board of Directors.

Section 3.              SPECIAL MEETINGS.

(a)  General.  The Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors may call a special meeting of the stockholders.  Subject to subsection (b) of this Section 3, a special meeting of stockholders shall also be called by the secretary of the Corporation upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
 
 
 

 
 
(b)  Stockholder Requested Special Meetings.  (1) Any stockholder of record seeking to have stockholders request a special meeting shall, by sending written notice to the secretary (the "Record Date Request Notice") by registered mail, return receipt requested, request the Board of Directors to fix a record date to determine the stockholders entitled to request a special meeting (the "Request Record Date").  The Record Date Request Notice shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it, shall be signed by one or more stockholders of record as of the date of signature (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the Record Date Request Notice), shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) and shall set forth all information relating to each such stockholder that must be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act").  Upon receiving the Record Date Request Notice, the Board of Directors may fix a Request Record Date.  The Request Record Date shall not precede and shall not be more than ten days after the close of business on the date on which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board of Directors.  If the Board of Directors, within ten days after the date on which a valid Record Date Request Notice is received, fails to adopt a resolution fixing the Request Record Date, the Request Record Date shall be the close of business on the tenth day after the first date on which the Record Date Request Notice is received by the secretary.

(2)  In order for any stockholder to request a special meeting, one or more written requests for a special meeting signed by stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in a writing accompanying the request) as of the Request Record Date entitled to cast not less than a majority (the "Special Meeting Percentage") of all of the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting (the "Special Meeting Request") shall be delivered to the secretary.  In addition, the Special Meeting Request (a) shall set forth the purpose of the meeting and the matters proposed to be acted on at it (which shall be limited to those lawful matters set forth in the Record Date Request Notice received by the secretary), (b) shall bear the date of signature of each such stockholder (or such agent) signing the Special Meeting Request, (c) shall set forth the name and address, as they appear in the Corporation’s books, of each stockholder signing such request (or on whose behalf the Special Meeting Request is signed) and the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned by each such stockholder, and the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned by such stockholder beneficially but not of record, (d) shall be sent to the secretary by registered mail, return receipt requested, and (e) shall be received by the secretary within 60 days after the Request Record Date.  Any requesting stockholder (or agent duly authorized in a writing accompanying the revocation or the Special Meeting Request) may revoke his, her or its request for a special meeting at any time by written revocation delivered to the secretary.

(3)  The secretary shall inform the requesting stockholders of the reasonably estimated cost of preparing and mailing the notice of meeting (including the Corporation’s proxy materials).  The secretary shall not be required to call a special meeting upon stockholder request and such meeting shall not be held unless, in addition to the documents required by paragraph (2) of this Section 3(b), the secretary receives payment of such reasonably estimated cost prior to the mailing of any notice of the meeting.
 
 
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(4)  Except as provided in the next sentence, any special meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors, whoever has called the meeting.  In the case of any special meeting called by the secretary upon the request of stockholders (a "Stockholder Requested Meeting"), such meeting shall be held at such place, date and time as may be designated by the Board of Directors; provided, however, that the date of any Stockholder Requested Meeting shall be not more than 90 days after the record date for such meeting (the "Meeting Record Date"); and provided further that if the Board of Directors fails to designate, within ten days after the date that a valid Special Meeting Request is actually received by the secretary (the "Delivery Date"), a date and time for a Stockholder Requested Meeting, then such meeting shall be held at 2:00 p.m. local time on the 90th day after the Meeting Record Date or, if such 90th day is not a Business Day (as defined below), on the first preceding Business Day; and provided further that in the event that the Board of Directors fails to designate a place for a Stockholder Requested Meeting within ten days after the Delivery Date, then such meeting shall be held at the principal executive office of the Corporation.  In fixing a date for any special meeting, the Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or the Board of Directors may consider such factors as he, she or it deems relevant within the good faith exercise of business judgment, including, without limitation, the nature of the matters to be considered, the facts and circumstances surrounding any request for meeting and any plan of the Board of Directors to call an annual meeting or a special meeting.  In the case of any Stockholder Requested Meeting, if the Board of Directors fails to fix a Meeting Record Date that is a date within 30 days after the Delivery Date, then the close of business on the 30th day after the Delivery Date shall be the Meeting Record Date.  The Board of Directors may revoke the notice for any Stockholder Requested Meeting in the event that the requesting stockholders fail to comply with the provisions of paragraph (3) of this Section 3(b).

(5)  If written revocations of the Special Meeting Request have been delivered to the secretary and the result is that stockholders of record (or their agents duly authorized in writing), as of the Request Record Date, entitled to cast less than the Special Meeting Percentage have delivered, and not revoked, requests for a special meeting to the secretary, the secretary shall: (i) if the notice of meeting has not already been mailed, refrain from mailing the notice of the meeting and send to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked such requests written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting, or (ii) if the notice of meeting has been mailed and if the secretary first sends to all requesting stockholders who have not revoked requests for a special meeting written notice of any revocation of a request for the special meeting and written notice of the secretary’s intention to revoke the notice of the meeting, revoke the notice of the meeting at any time before ten days before the commencement of the meeting.  Any request for a special meeting received after a revocation by the secretary of a notice of a meeting shall be considered a request for a new special meeting.
 
(6)  The Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or the president may appoint independent inspectors of elections to act as the agent of the Corporation for the purpose of promptly performing a ministerial review of the validity of any purported Special Meeting Request received by the secretary.  For the purpose of permitting the inspectors to perform such review, no such purported request shall be deemed to have been delivered to the secretary until the earlier of (i) five Business Days after receipt by the secretary of such purported request and (ii) such date as the independent inspectors certify to the Corporation that the valid requests received by the secretary represent, as of the Request Record Date, not less than the Special Meeting Percentage.  Nothing contained in this paragraph (6) shall in any way be construed to suggest or imply that the Corporation or any stockholder shall not be entitled to contest the validity of any request, whether during or after such five Business Day period, or to take any other action (including, without limitation, the commencement, prosecution or defense of any litigation with respect thereto, and the seeking of injunctive relief in such litigation).
 
 
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(7)  For purposes of these Bylaws, "Business Day" shall mean any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or other day on which banking institutions in the State of New York are authorized or obligated by law or executive order to close.

Section 4.              NOTICE OF MEETINGS.  Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of stockholders, the secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting written or printed notice stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, either by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by Maryland law.  If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. A single notice shall be effective as to all stockholders who share an address, except to the extent that a stockholder at such address objects to such single notice.  Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more stockholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II, or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.

Subject to Section 11(a) of this Article II, any business of the Corporation may be transacted at an annual meeting of stockholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice.  No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of stockholders except as specifically designated in the notice.  The Corporation may postpone or cancel a meeting of stockholders by making a "public announcement" (as defined in Section 11(c)(3)) of such postponement or cancellation prior to the meeting.

Section 5.              ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT.  Every meeting of stockholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Board of Directors to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment, by the Chairman of the Board, if any, or, in the case of a vacancy in the office or absence of the Chairman of the Board, by one of the following officers present at the meeting:  the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, the chief executive officer, the president, any vice president, the secretary, the treasurer or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the stockholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by stockholders present in person or by proxy.  The secretary or, in the secretary’s absence, an assistant secretary or, in the absence of both the secretary and assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or, in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting shall act as secretary.  In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of the stockholders, an assistant secretary, or, in the absence of assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board of Directors or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting.  The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of stockholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting.  The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman and without any action by the stockholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation, (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies or other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments by participants; (e) determining when the polls should be opened and closed; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any stockholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (i) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security.  Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.
 
 
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Section 6.              QUORUM.  The presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares of stock of the Corporation entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast (without regard to class) shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the stockholders, except with respect to any such matter that, under applicable statutes or regulatory requirements, requires approval by a separate vote of one or more classes of stock, in which case the presence in person or by proxy of the holders of shares entitled to cast a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by each such class on such a matter shall constitute a quorum.  This section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the charter of the Corporation for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure.

If, however, such quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power to (a) adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting or (b) conclude the meeting without adjournment to another date.  If a meeting is adjourned and a quorum is present at such adjournment, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

The stockholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and convened, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough stockholders to leave less than a quorum.

Section 7.              VOTING.  A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect a director.  Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted.  A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the charter of the Corporation.  Unless otherwise provided in the charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders.
 
 
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Section 8.              PROXIES.  A stockholder may cast the votes entitled to be cast by the holder of the shares of stock owned of record by the stockholder in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by the stockholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law.  Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the meeting.  No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

Section 9.              VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS.  Stock of the Corporation registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, a general partner or trustee thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock.  Any director or other fiduciary may vote stock registered in his or her name as such fiduciary, either in person or by proxy.

Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.

The Board of Directors may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the stockholder.  The resolution shall set forth the class of stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record date within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board of Directors considers necessary or desirable.  On receipt of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the stockholder of record of the specified stock in place of the stockholder who makes the certification.

Section 10.            INSPECTORS.  The Board of Directors or the chair of the meeting may appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors for the meeting and any successor thereto.  The inspectors, if any, shall (i) determine the number of shares of stock represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy and the validity and effect of proxies, (ii) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (iii) report such tabulation to the chair of the meeting, (iv) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (v) do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders.  Each such report shall be in writing and signed by him or her or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting.  If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors.  The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.
 
 
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Section 11.            ADVANCE NOTICE OF STOCKHOLDER NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR AND OTHER STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS.

(a)  Annual Meetings of Stockholders.  (1) Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by the stockholders may be made at an annual meeting of stockholders (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) by any stockholder of the Corporation who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by the stockholder as provided for in this Section 11(a) and at the time of the annual meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with this Section 11(a).

(2)           For nominations or other business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder pursuant to clause (iii) of paragraph (a)(1) of this Section 11, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the secretary of the Corporation and such other business must otherwise be a proper matter for action by the stockholders.  To be timely, a stockholder’s notice shall set forth all information required under this Section 11 and shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 150th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting nor later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that the date of the annual meeting is advanced or delayed by more than 30 days from the first anniversary of the date of the preceding year’s annual meeting (or if an annual meeting has not previously been held), notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement of the date of such meeting is first made.  The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of an annual meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.  Such stockholder’s notice shall set forth (i) as to each individual whom the stockholder proposes to nominate for election or reelection as a director, (A) the name, age, business address and residence address of such individual, (B) the class, series and number of any shares of stock of the Corporation that are beneficially owned by such individual, (C) the date such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition, (D) whether such stockholder believes any such individual is, or is not, an "interested person" of the Corporation, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the rules promulgated thereunder (the "Investment Company Act") and information regarding such individual that is sufficient, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any committee thereof or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to make such determination and (E) all other information relating to such individual that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors in an election contest (even if an election contest is not involved), or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act and the rules thereunder (including such individual’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as a director if elected); (ii) as to any other business that the stockholder proposes to bring before the meeting, a description of such business, the reasons for proposing such business at the meeting and any material interest in such business of such stockholder and any Stockholder Associated Person (as defined below), individually or in the aggregate, including any anticipated benefit to the stockholder or the Stockholder Associated Person therefrom; (iii)  as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person, (A) the class, series and number of all shares of stock of the Corporation which are owned by such stockholder and by such Stockholder Associated Person, if any, (B) the nominee holder for, and number of, shares owned beneficially but not of record by such stockholder and by any such Stockholder Associated Person, (C) whether and the extent to which any hedging or other transaction or series of transactions has been entered into by or on behalf of, or any other agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares) has been made, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to or manage risk of share price changes for, or to increase the voting power of, such stockholder or any such Stockholder Associated Person with respect to any shares of stock of the Corporation (collectively, "Hedging Activities") and (D) a general description of whether and the extent to which such stockholder or such Stockholder Associated Person has engaged in Hedging Activities with respect to shares of stock or other equity interests of any other company; (iv) as to the stockholder giving the notice and any Stockholder Associated Person covered by clauses (ii) or (iii) of this paragraph (2) of this Section 11(a), (A) the name and address of such stockholder, as they appear on the Corporation’s stock ledger and current name and address, if different, and of such Stockholder Associated Person; and (B) the investment strategy or objective, if any, of such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person and a copy of the prospectus, offering memorandum or similar document, if any provided to investors or potential investors in such stockholder or Stockholder Associated Person; and (v) to the extent known by the stockholder giving the notice, the name and address of any other stockholder supporting the nominee for election or reelection as a director or the proposal of other business on the date of such stockholder’s notice.
 
 
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(3)           Notwithstanding anything in this subsection (a) of  this Section 11 to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of Directors is increased and there is no public announcement of such action at least 130 days prior to the first anniversary of the date of the proxy statement for the preceding year’s annual meeting, a stockholder’s notice required by this Section 11(a) shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, if it shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the tenth day following the day on which such public announcement is first made by the Corporation.

(4)           For purposes of this Section 11, "Stockholder Associated Person" of any stockholder shall mean (i) any person controlling, directly or indirectly, or acting in concert with, such stockholder, (ii) any beneficial owner of shares of stock of the Corporation owned of record or beneficially by such stockholder and (iii) any person controlling, controlled by or under common control with such Stockholder Associated Person.
 
 
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(b)           Special Meetings of Stockholders.  Only such business shall be conducted at a special meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting.  Nominations of individuals for election to the Board of Directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected (i) pursuant to the Corporation’s notice of meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of the Board of Directors or (iii) provided that the Board of Directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such special meeting, by any stockholder of the Corporation who is a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice provided for in this Section 11 and at the time of the special meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the notice procedures set forth in this Section 11.  In the event the Corporation calls a special meeting of stockholders for the purpose of electing one or more individuals to the Board of Directors, any such stockholder may nominate an individual or individuals (as the case may be) for election as a director as specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting, if the stockholder’s notice required by paragraph (a)(2) of this Section 11 shall be delivered to the secretary at the principal executive office of the Corporation not earlier than the 120th day prior to such special meeting and not later than 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on the later of the 90th day prior to such special meeting or the tenth day following the day on which public announcement is first made of the date of the special meeting and of the nominees proposed by the Board of Directors to be elected at such meeting.  The public announcement of a postponement or adjournment of a special meeting shall not commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above.

(c)           General.  (1)  If information submitted pursuant to this Section 11 by any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a Director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders shall be inaccurate to a material extent, such information may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 11.  Upon written request by the secretary or the Board of Directors, any stockholder proposing a nominee for election as a Director or any proposal for other business at a meeting of stockholders shall provide, within five Business Days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), (A) written verification, satisfactory, in the discretion of the Board of Directors or any authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11 and (B) a written update of any information previously submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Section 11 as of an earlier date.  If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification or written update within such period, the information as to which written verification or a written update was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Section 11.

(2)           Only such individuals who are nominated in accordance with this Section 11 shall be eligible for election by stockholders as directors, and only such business shall be conducted at a meeting of stockholders as shall have been brought before the meeting in accordance with this Section 11.  The chairman of the meeting shall have the power to determine whether a nomination or any other business proposed to be brought before the meeting was made or proposed, as the case may be, in accordance with this Section 11.

(3)           For purposes of this Section 11, "public announcement" shall mean disclosure (i) in a press release reported by the Dow Jones News Service, Associated Press, Business Wire, PR Newswire or other widely circulated news or wire service or (ii) in a document publicly filed by the Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act or the Investment Company Act.
 
 
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(4)           Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 11, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of state law and of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder with respect to the matters set forth in this Section 11.  Nothing in this Section 11 shall be deemed to affect any right of a stockholder to request inclusion of a proposal in, nor the right of the Corporation to omit a proposal from, the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 (or any successor provision) under the Exchange Act.

Section 12.            VOTING BY BALLOT.  Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the presiding officer shall order or any stockholder shall demand that voting be by ballot.

Section 13.            CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws, Subtitle 7 of Title 3 of the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”), or any successor statute, shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation.  This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent provided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.

ARTICLE III

DIRECTORS

Section 1.              GENERAL POWERS.  The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board of Directors.

Section 2.              NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS.  At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board of Directors may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than one, nor more than nine, and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors.

Section 3.              ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS.  An annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held immediately after and at the same place as the annual meeting of stockholders, no notice other than this Bylaw being necessary.  In the event such meeting is not so held, the meeting may be held at such time and place as shall be specified in a notice given as hereinafter provided for special meetings of the Board of Directors.  Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held from time to time at such places and times as provided by the Board of Directors by resolution, without notice other than such resolution.

Section 4.              SPECIAL MEETINGS.  Special meetings of the Board of Directors may be called by or at the request of the Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or by a majority of the directors then in office.  The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board of Directors may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board of Directors called by them.  The Board of Directors may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of special meetings of the Board of Directors without notice other than such resolution.
 
 
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Section 5.              NOTICE.  Notice of any special meeting of the Board of Directors shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, United States mail or courier to each director at his or her business or residence address.  Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.  Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting.  Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting.  Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the director or his or her agent is a party.  Electronic mail notice shall be deemed to be given upon transmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the director.  Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the director and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt.  Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid.  Notice by courier shall be deemed to be given when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed.  Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.

Section 6.              QUORUM.  A majority of the directors shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business at any meeting of the Board of Directors, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors are present at such meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to applicable law, the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority of such group.

The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and convened may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal of enough directors to leave less than a quorum.

Section 7.              VOTING.  The action of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute or the charter.  If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave less than a quorum but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board of Directors, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable statute or the charter.
 
 
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Section 8.              ORGANIZATION.  At each meeting of the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board or, in the absence of the Chairman, the Vice Chairman of the Board, if any, shall act as Chairman.  In the absence of both the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer or in the absence of the chief executive officer, the president or in the absence of the president, a director chosen by a majority of the directors present, shall act as Chairman.  The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Corporation, or in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, a person appointed by the Chairman, shall act as secretary of the meeting.

Section 9.              TELEPHONE MEETINGS.  Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time; provided however, this Section 9 does not apply to any action of the directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act, that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting.  Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 10.            WRITTEN CONSENT BY DIRECTORS.  Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board of Directors; provided however, this Section 10 does not apply to any action of the directors pursuant to the Investment Company Act, that requires the vote of the directors to be cast in person at a meeting.

Section 11.            VACANCIES.  If for any reason any or all the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder, if any.  Pursuant to the Corporation's election in Article IV of the charter, subject to applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act, except as may be provided by the Board of Directors in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, (a) any vacancy on the Board of Directors may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum and (b) any director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the class in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.

Section 12.            COMPENSATION.  Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board of Directors, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting and/or per visit to real property or other facilities owned or leased by the Corporation and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors. Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board of Directors or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.
 
 
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Section 13.            LOSS OF DEPOSITS.  No director shall be liable for any loss which may occur by reason of the failure of the bank, trust company, savings and loan association, or other institution with whom moneys or stock have been deposited.

Section 14.             SURETY BONDS.  Unless required by law, no director shall be obligated to give any bond or surety or other security for the performance of any of his or her duties.

Section 15.            RELIANCE.  Each director and officer of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Corporation, be entitled to rely on any information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Corporation whom the director or officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the director or officer reasonably believes to be within the person’s professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a director, by a committee of the Board of Directors on which the director does not serve, as to a matter within its designated authority, if the director reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.

Section 16.            RATIFICATION.  The Board of Directors or the stockholders may ratify and make binding on the Corporation any action or inaction by the Corporation or its officers to the extent that the Board of Directors or the stockholders could have originally authorized the matter.  Moreover, any action or inaction questioned in any stockholders' derivative proceeding or any other proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a director, officer or stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, or the application of improper principles or practices of accounting, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board of Directors or by the stockholders and such ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned action or inaction.
 
Section 17 .          EMERGENCY PROVISIONS. Notwithstanding any other provision in the charter or these Bylaws, this Section 17 shall apply during the existence of any catastrophe, or other similar emergency condition, as a result of which a quorum of the Board of Directors under Article III of these Bylaws cannot readily be obtained (an "Emergency").  During any Emergency, unless otherwise provided by the Board of Directors, (i) a meeting of the Board of Directors or a committee thereof may be called by any director or officer by any means feasible under the circumstances; (ii) notice of any meeting of the Board of Directors during such an Emergency may be given less than 24 hours prior to the meeting to as many directors and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication, television or radio, and (iii) the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board of Directors.
 
 
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ARTICLE IV

COMMITTEES

Section 1.             NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS.  The Board of Directors may appoint from among its members an Executive Committee, an Audit Committee, a Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, a Valuation Committee and other committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board of Directors.

Section 2.              POWERS.  The Board of Directors may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board of Directors, except as prohibited by law.

Section 3.              MEETINGS.  Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board of Directors.  A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee.  The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee.  The Board of Directors may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the Committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide.  In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another director to act in the place of such absent member.  Each committee shall keep minutes of its proceedings.

Section 4.              TELEPHONE MEETINGS.  Members of a committee of the Board of Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or similar communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time.  Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 5.              WRITTEN CONSENT BY COMMITTEES.  Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board of Directors may be taken without a meeting, if a consent to such action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each member of the committee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.

Section 6.              VACANCIES.  Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board of Directors shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill any vacancy, to designate one or more alternate members to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.  Subject to the power of the Board of Directors, the members of the committee shall have the power to fill any vacancies on the committee.
 
 
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ARTICLE V

OFFICERS

Section 1.              GENERAL PROVISIONS.  The officers of the Corporation shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, a chief investment officer, a chief compliance officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers.  In addition, the Board of Directors may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or desirable.  The Board of Directors may designate a Chairman of the Board and a Vice Chairman of the Board, who shall not, solely by reason of such designation, be officers of the Corporation but shall have such powers and duties as determined by the Board of Directors from time to time.  The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board of Directors, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries, assistant treasurers or other officers.  Each officer shall serve  until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until death, resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided.  Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person.  Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.

Section 2.              REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION.  Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board of Directors if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed.  Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by giving written notice of his or her resignation to the Board of Directors, the Chairman of the Board, the president or the secretary.  Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the notice of resignation.  The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.  Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation.

Section 3.               VACANCIES.  A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board of Directors for the balance of the term.

Section 4.              CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief executive officer.  In the absence of such designation, the president shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation.  The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board of Directors, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation.  He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.

 
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Section 5.              CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief operating officer.  The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

Section 6.              CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief investment officer.  The chief investment officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

Section 7.              CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.  The Board of Directors may designate a chief financial officer.  The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as set forth by the Board of Directors or the chief executive officer.

Section 8.              CHIEF COMPLIANCE OFFICER.  The chief compliance officer, subject to the direction of and reporting to the Board of Directors, shall be responsible for the oversight of the Corporation’s compliance with the Federal securities laws.  The designation, compensation and removal of the chief compliance officer must be approved by the Board of Directors, including a majority of the directors who are not “interested persons” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act of 1940) of the Corporation.  The chief compliance officer shall perform such executive, supervisory and management functions and duties as may be assigned to him or her from time to time.

Section 9.              PRESIDENT.  In the absence of a designation of a chief executive officer by the Board of Directors, the president shall be the chief executive officer.  He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board of Directors or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors from time to time.

Section 10.            VICE PRESIDENTS.  In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the president or by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president or as vice president for particular areas of responsibility.

Section 11.            SECRETARY.  The secretary shall: (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board of Directors and committees of the Board of Directors in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him by the chief executive officer, the president or by the Board of Directors.
 
 
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Section 12.            TREASURER.  The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation and shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors.  In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board of Directors, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.

The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Corporation as may be ordered by the Board of Directors, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Board of Directors, at the regular meetings of the Board of Directors or whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Corporation.

Section 13.            ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS.  The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the president or the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE VI

CONTRACTS, LOANS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

Section 1.              CONTRACTS.  The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.  Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation when authorized or ratified by action of the Board of Directors and executed by an authorized person.

Section 2.              CHECKS AND DRAFTS.  All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board of Directors.

Section 3.              DEPOSITS.  All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited from time to time to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Board of Directors may designate.

 
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ARTICLE VII

STOCK

Section 1.              CERTIFICATES; REQUIRED INFORMATION.  The Corporation may issue some or all of the shares of any or all of the Corporation's classes or series of stock without certificates if authorized by the Board of Directors.  In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock represented by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board of Directors or a duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the Maryland General Corporation Law (the "MGCL") and shall be signed by the officers of the Corporation in the manner permitted by the MGCL.  In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock without certificates, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates.  There shall be no differences in the rights and obligations of stockholders based on whether or not their shares are represented by certificates.  If a class or series of stock is authorized by the Board of Directors to be issued without certificates, no stockholder shall be entitled to a certificate or certificates representing any shares of such class or series of stock held by such stockholder unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors and then only upon written request by such stockholder to the secretary of the Corporation.

Section 2.              TRANSFERS.  All transfers of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation, by the holder of the shares, in person or by his or her attorney, in such manner as the Board of Directors or any officer of the Corporation may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed.  The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board of Directors that such shares shall no longer be represented by certificates.  Upon the transfer of uncertificated shares, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates.

The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of stock will be subject in all respects to the charter of the Corporation and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.

Section 3.             REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE.  Any officer of the Corporation may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate of stock to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such stockholder and the Board of Directors has determined such certificates may be issued.  Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the Corporation, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Corporation a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation.
 
 
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Section 4.              FIXING OF RECORD DATE.  The Board of Directors may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose.  Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders of record is to be held or taken.

When a determination of stockholders entitled to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been made as provided in this section, such determination shall apply to any adjournment or postponement thereof, except when the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date fixed for the original meeting, in which case a new record date shall be determined as set forth herein.

Section 5.              STOCK LEDGER.  The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.

Section 6.              FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS.  The Board of Directors may issue fractional stock or provide for the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as they may determine.  Notwithstanding any other provision of the charter or these Bylaws, the Board of Directors may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation.  Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board of Directors may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.

ARTICLE VIII

ACCOUNTING YEAR

The Board of Directors shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.
 
 
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ARTICLE IX

DISTRIBUTIONS
 
Section 1.              AUTHORIZATION.  Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized by the Board of Directors, subject to the provisions of law and the charter of the Corporation.  Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the charter.

Section 2.              CONTINGENCIES.  Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board of Directors may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board of Directors shall determine, and the Board of Directors may modify or abolish any such reserve.

ARTICLE X

SEAL

Section 1.              SEAL.  The Board of Directors may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation.  The seal shall contain the name of the Corporation and the year of its incorporation and the words “Incorporated Maryland.”  The Board of Directors may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.

Section 2.              AFFIXING SEAL.  Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.

ARTICLE XI

INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES

To the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and the Investment Company Act, in effect from time to time, the Corporation shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, shall pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any individual who is a present or former director or officer of the Corporation and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (b) any individual who, while a director or officer of the Corporation and at the request of the Corporation, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner or trustee of such corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.  The Corporation may, with the approval of its Board of Directors or any duly authorized committee thereof, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Corporation in any of the capacities described in (a) or (b) above and to any employee or agent of the Corporation or a predecessor of the Corporation.  The indemnification and payment of expenses provided in these Bylaws shall not be deemed exclusive of or limit in any way other rights to which any person seeking indemnification or payment of expenses may be or may become entitled under any bylaw, regulation, insurance, agreement or otherwise.
 
 
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Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Article, nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Bylaws or charter of the Corporation inconsistent with this Article, shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding paragraph with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.

No provision of this Article XI shall be effective to protect or purport to protect any director or officer of the Corporation against liability to the Corporation or its stockholders to which he or she would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of his or her office.

ARTICLE XII

WAIVER OF NOTICE

Whenever any notice is required to be given pursuant to the charter of the Corporation or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing, signed by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice.  Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice, unless specifically required by statute.  The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting is not lawfully called or convened.

ARTICLE XIII

INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT

If and to the extent that any provision of the MGCL, including, without limitation, Subtitle 6 and, if then applicable, Subtitle 7, of Title 3 of the MGCL, or any provision of the charter or these Bylaws conflicts with any provision of the Investment Company Act, the applicable provision of the Investment Company Act shall control.
 
 
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ARTICLE XIV

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

The Board of Directors shall have the exclusive power, at any time, to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.

 
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Exhibit d.1
 
 
No. __________
 
CUSIP NO.  [_______________]
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
Incorporated under the Laws of the State of Maryland
 
___________________ Shares
Common Stock
 
Par Value $.01 Per Share
  
SEE REVERSE FOR CERTAIN DEFINITIONS AND OTHER INFORMATION
 
THIS CERTIFIES THAT ______________________________________________________________________ IS THE OWNER OF ______________________________________________________________________ FULLY PAID AND NON-ASSESSABLE SHARES OF COMMON STOCK, WITH A PAR VALUE OF $.01 PER SHARE, OF NEXT INNOVATION CORP. (the “Corporation”), transferable on the books of the Corporation in person or by duly authorized attorney upon surrender of this certificate if properly endorsed. This certificate is not valid unless countersigned by the Transfer Agent and registered by the Registrar.
    
WITNESS the seal of the Corporation and the facsimile signatures of its duly authorized officers.
 
Dated: _____________, 2011
 
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
 
Secretary
CORPORATE SEAL
Chief Executive Officer
 
2010
 
 
MARYLAND
 
     
     
Transfer Agent
 
   
 
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face of this certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full according to applicable laws or regulations:
 
 
 

 
 
TEN COM
as tenants in common
Unif Gift Min Act -                     Custodian                         
     
TEN ENT
tenants by the entireties
                                         (Cust)                          (Minor)
     
JT TEN
as joint tenants with right of
                                Under Uniform Gifts to Minors
 
    survivorship and not as tenants
    in common
 
                                Act:                                                       
                                                                 (State)
 
Additional Abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
 
IMPORTANT NOTICE
 
The Corporation will furnish to any stockholder, on request and without charge, a full statement of the information required by Section 2-211(b) of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland with respect to the designations and any preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends and other distributions, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption of the stock of each class which the Corporation has authority to issue and, if the Corporation is authorized to issue any preferred or special class in series, (i) the differences in the relative rights and preferences between the shares of each series to the extent set, and (ii) the authority of the Board of Directors to set such rights and preferences of subsequent series.  This Certificate and the shares of Common Stock represented hereby are issued and shall be held subject to all the provisions of the charter and bylaws of the Corporation and all amendments thereto (copies of which may be obtained from the secretary of the Corporation), to all of which the holder of this certificate by acceptance hereof assents.
 
 KEEP THIS CERTIFICATE IN A SAFE PLACE.  IF IT IS LOST, STOLEN OR DESTROYED, THE CORPORATION WILL REQUIRE A BOND OF INDEMNITY AS A CONDITION TO THE ISSUANCE OF A REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE.
 
 
For Value Received,                              the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto
 
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER
        IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
 
 
(PLEASE PRINT OR TYPEWRITE NAME AND ADDRESS, INCLUDING ZIP CODE, OF ASSIGNEE)
 
 
 

 
 
shares of the Common Stock represented by this Certificate, and does hereby irrevocably constitute and appoint                      Attorney, to transfer the said stock on the books of the within named Corporation with full power of substitution in the premises.

Dated
  
 
  
 
  
By:
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
NOTICE: THE SIGNATURE TO THIS ASSIGNMENT MUST CORRESPOND WITH THE NAME AS WRITTEN UPON THE FACE OF THE CERTIFICATE IN EVERY PARTICULAR, WITHOUT ALTERATION OR ENLARGEMENT OR ANY CHANGE WHATEVER.
 
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
 
By:
   
THE SIGNATURE(S) SHOULD BE GUARANTEED BY AN ELIGIBLE GUARANTOR INSTITUTION (BANKS, STOCKBROKERS, SAVINGS AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS AND CREDIT UNIONS WITH MEMBERSHIP IN AN APPROVED SIGNATURE GUARANTEE MEDALLION PROGRAM) PURSUANT TO S.E.C. RULE 17Ad-15.

 
 

 
Exhibit e.
 
DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN
 
OF
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
 
NeXt Innovation Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Corporation”), hereby adopts the following plan (the “Plan”) with respect to net investment income dividends and capital gains distributions declared by its Board of Directors on shares of its Common Stock:
 
1.           Unless a stockholder specifically elects to receive cash as set forth below, all net investment income dividends and all capital gains distributions hereafter declared by the Board of Directors shall be payable in shares of the Common Stock of the Corporation, and no action shall be required on such stockholder’s part to receive a distribution in stock.
 
2.           Such net investment income dividends and capital gains distributions shall be payable on such date or dates as may be fixed from time to time by the Board of Directors to stockholders of record at the close of business on the record date(s) established by the Board of Directors for the net investment income dividend and/or capital gains distribution involved.
 
3.           The Corporation shall use only newly-issued shares of its Common Stock to implement the Plan if its shares are trading at a premium to net asset value.  The number of shares to be issued to a stockholder shall be determined by dividing the total dollar amount of the distribution payable to such stockholder by the market price per share of the Corporation’s Common Stock at the close of regular trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market on the valuation date fixed by the Board of Directors for such distribution.  Market price per share on that date shall be the closing price for such shares on the NASDAQ Capital Market or, if no sale is reported for such day, at the average of their electronically-reported bid and asked prices.
 
4.           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in section 3 above, if the Corporation declares a distribution to stockholders, the Plan Administrator, as defined below, may be instructed not to credit accounts with newly-issued shares and instead to buy shares in the market if (1) the price at which newly-issued shares are to be credited does not exceed 110% of the last determined net asset value of the shares; or (2) the Corporation has advised the Plan Administrator that since such net asset value was last determined, the Corporation has become aware of events that indicate the possibility of a material change in per share net asset value as a result of which the net asset value of the shares on the payment date might be higher than the price at which the Plan Administrator would credit newly-issued shares to stockholders.
 
Adopted: ____________________
 
 
 

 
 
5.           A stockholder may elect to receive his or its net investment income dividends and capital gains distributions in cash.  To exercise this option, such stockholder shall notify American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, the plan administrator and the Corporation’s transfer agent and registrar (referred to as the “Plan Administrator”), in writing so that such notice is received by the Plan Administrator no later than 10 days prior to the record date fixed by the Board of Directors for the net investment income dividend and/or capital gains distribution involved.  Such election shall remain in effect until the stockholder shall notify the Plan Administrator in writing of such stockholder’s withdrawal of the election, which notice shall be delivered to the Plan Administrator no later than 10 days prior to the record date fixed by the Board of Directors for the next net investment income dividend and/or capital gains distribution by the Corporation.
 
6.           The Plan Administrator will set up an account for shares acquired pursuant to the Plan for each stockholder who has not so elected to receive dividends and distributions in cash (each a “Participant”).  The Plan Administrator may hold each Participant’s shares, together with the shares of other Participants, in non-certificated form in the Plan Administrator’s name or that of its nominee.  Upon request by a Participant, received in writing no later than 10 days prior to the record date, the Plan Administrator will, instead of crediting shares to and/or carrying shares in a Participant’s account, issue, without charge to the Participant, a certificate registered in the Participant’s name for the number of whole shares payable to the Participant and a check for any fractional share.
 
7.           The Plan Administrator will confirm to each Participant each acquisition made pursuant to the Plan as soon as practicable but not later than 10 business days after the date thereof.  Although each Participant may from time to time have an undivided fractional interest (computed to three decimal places) in a share of Common Stock of the Corporation, no certificates for a fractional share will be issued.  However, dividends and distributions on fractional shares will be credited to each Participant’s account.  In the event of termination of a Participant’s account under the Plan, the Plan Administrator will adjust for any such undivided fractional interest in cash at the market value of the Corporation’s shares at the time of termination.
 
8.           The Plan Administrator will forward to each Participant any Corporation related proxy solicitation materials and each Corporation report or other communication to stockholders, and will vote any shares held by it under the Plan in accordance with the instructions set forth on proxies returned by Participants to the Corporation.
 
9.           In the event that the Corporation makes available to its stockholders rights to purchase additional shares or other securities, the shares held by the Plan Administrator for each Participant under the Plan will be added to any other shares held by the Participant in certificated form in calculating the number of rights to be issued to the Participant.
 
10.         The Plan Administrator’s service fee, if any, and expenses for administering the Plan will be paid for by the Corporation.
 
 
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11.         Each Participant may terminate his or its account under the Plan by so notifying the Plan Administrator in writing or by telephone.  Such termination will be effective immediately if the Participant’s notice is received by the Plan Administrator not less than 10 days prior to any dividend or distribution record date; otherwise, such termination will be effective only with respect to any subsequent dividend or distribution.  The Plan may be terminated by the Corporation upon notice in writing mailed to each Participant at least 30 days prior to any record date for the payment of any dividend or distribution by the Corporation.  Upon any termination, the Plan Administrator will cause a certificate or certificates to be issued for the full shares held for the Participant under the Plan and a cash adjustment for any fractional share to be delivered to the Participant without charge to the Participant.  If a Participant elects by his or its written or telephonic notice to the Plan Administrator in advance of termination to have the Plan Administrator sell part or all of his or its shares and remit the proceeds to the Participant, the Plan Administrator is authorized to deduct a $15 transaction fee plus brokerage commission from the proceeds.
 
12.         These terms and conditions may be amended or supplemented by the Corporation at any time but, except when necessary or appropriate to comply with applicable law or the rules or policies of the Securities and Exchange Commission or any other regulatory authority, only by mailing to each Participant appropriate written notice at least 30 days prior to the effective date thereof.  The amendment or supplement shall be deemed to be accepted by each Participant unless, prior to the effective date thereof, the Plan Administrator receives written notice of the termination of his or its account under the Plan.  Any such amendment may include an appointment by the Plan Administrator in its place and stead of a successor agent under these terms and conditions, with full power and authority to perform all or any of the acts to be performed by the Plan Administrator under these terms and conditions.  Upon any such appointment of any agent for the purpose of receiving dividends and distributions, the Corporation will be authorized to pay to such successor agent, for each Participant’s account, all dividends and distributions payable on shares of the Corporation held in the Participant’s name or under the Plan for retention or application by such successor agent as provided in these terms and conditions.
 
13.         The Plan Administrator will at all times act in good faith and use its best efforts within reasonable limits to ensure its full and timely performance of all services to be performed by it under this Plan and to comply with applicable law, but assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable for loss or damage due to errors unless such error is caused by the Plan Administrator’s negligence, bad faith, or willful misconduct or that of its employees or agents.
 
14.         These terms and conditions shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to the conflicts of law principles thereof, to the extent such principles would require or permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.
 
 
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Unassociated Document
 

Exhibit g.
 
[FORM OF INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT]
 
INVESTMENT ADVISORY AGREEMENT
 
BETWEEN
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
 
AND
 
NEXT ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
 
Agreement (this “Agreement”) made this ___ day of March, 2011, by and between NEXT INNOVATION CORP., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and NEXT ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Adviser”).
 
WHEREAS, the Company is a newly organized closed-end management investment fund that intends to elect to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940,as amended (the “Investment Company Act”); and
 
WHEREAS, the Adviser is an investment adviser that is registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”); and
 
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the Adviser to furnish investment advisory services to the Company on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth, and the Adviser wishes to be retained to provide such services.
 
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and for other good and valuable consideration, the parties hereby agree as follows:
 
1.
Duties of the Adviser.
 
(a)           The Company hereby retains the Adviser to act as the investment adviser to the Company and to manage the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Company, subject to the supervision of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), for the period and upon the terms herein set forth, (i) in accordance with the investment objective, policies and restrictions that are set forth in the Company’s registration statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-171578) initially filed on January 7, 2011 (as the same shall be amended from time to time); (ii) in accordance with all other applicable federal and state laws, rules and regulations, and the Company’s charter and by-laws as the same shall be amended from time to time; and (iii) in accordance with the Investment Company Act.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Adviser shall, during the term and subject to the provisions of this Agreement, (i) determine the composition of the portfolio of the Company, the nature and timing of the changes therein and the manner of implementing such changes; (ii) identify, evaluate and negotiate the structure of the investments made by the Company; (iii) close and monitor the Company’s investments; (iv) determine the securities and other assets that the Company will purchase, retain, or sell; (v) perform due diligence on prospective portfolio companies; and (vi) provide the Company with such other investment advisory, research and related services as the Company may, from time to
 
 
 

 

time, reasonably require for the investment of its funds.  Subject to the supervision of the Board, the Adviser shall have the power and authority on behalf of the Company to effectuate its investment decisions for the Company, including the execution and delivery of all documents relating to the Company’s investments and the placing of orders for other purchase or sale transactions on behalf of the Company. In the event that the Company determines to acquire debt financing, the Adviser will arrange for such financing on the Company’s behalf, subject to the oversight and approval of the Board. If it is necessary for the Adviser to make investments on behalf of the Company through a special purpose vehicle, the Adviser shall have authority to create or arrange for the creation of such special purpose vehicle and to make such investments through such special purpose vehicle (in accordance with the Investment Company Act).
 
(b)           The Adviser hereby accepts such employment and agrees during the term hereof to render the services described herein for the compensation provided herein.
 
(c)           The Adviser shall for all purposes herein provided be deemed to be an independent contractor and, except as expressly provided or authorized herein, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Company in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Company.
 
(d)           The Adviser shall keep and preserve for the period required by the Investment Company Act any books and records relevant to the provision of its investment advisory services to the Company and shall specifically maintain all books and records in accordance with Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act with respect to the Company’s portfolio transactions and shall render to the Board such periodic and special reports as the Board may reasonably request. The Adviser agrees that all records that it maintains for the Company are the property of the Company and will surrender promptly to the Company any such records upon the Company’s request, provided that the Adviser may retain a copy of such records.
 
2.
Company’s Responsibilities and Expenses Payable by the Company.
 
(a)           All investment professionals of the Adviser and their respective staffs, when and to the extent engaged in providing investment advisory and management services hereunder, and the compensation and routine overhead expenses of such personnel allocable to such services, will be provided and paid for by the Adviser and not by the Company. The Company will bear all other costs and expenses of its operations, administration and transactions, including (without limitation) those relating to: organization and offering; calculating the Company’s net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); expenses incurred by the Adviser payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, in monitoring financial and legal affairs for the Company and in providing administrative services, monitoring the Company’s investments and performing due diligence on its prospective portfolio companies; interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance the Company’s investments; sales and purchases of the Company’s common stock and other securities; investment advisory and management fees; administration fees, if any, payable under the Administration Agreement between the Company and NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC (the “Administrator”), the Company’s administrator; fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; transfer agent and custodial fees; federal and state registration fees; all costs of registration and listing the
 
 
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Company’s shares on any securities exchange; federal, state and local taxes; independent Directors’ fees and expenses; costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by the Securities and Exchange Commission; costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; the Company’s allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; and all other expenses incurred by the Company or the Administrator in connection with administering the Company’s business, including payments under the Administration Agreement between the Company and the Administrator based upon the Company’s allocable portion of the Administrator’s overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of the Company’s chief compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
 
3.
Compensation of the Adviser.
 
The Company agrees to pay, and the Adviser agrees to accept, as compensation for the services provided by the Adviser hereunder, a base management fee (“Base Management Fee”) and an incentive fee (“Incentive Fee”) as hereinafter set forth.  The cost of both the Base Management Fee and the Incentive Fee will ultimately be borne by the Company’s common stockholders.  The Company shall make any payments due hereunder to the Adviser or to the Adviser’s designee as the Adviser may otherwise direct.
 
(a)           The Base Management Fee shall be calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% of the Company’s gross assets. For the period from the close of this offering through and including December 31, 2011, the Base Management Fee will be payable monthly in arrears, and will be calculated based on the initial value of the Company’s gross assets upon the closing of the Company’s initial public offering. For services rendered after December 31, 2011, the Base Management Fee will be payable monthly in arrears, and will be calculated based on the average value of the Company’s gross assets at the end of the two most recently completed calendar quarters, and appropriately adjusted for any equity or debt capital raises, repurchases or redemptions during the current calendar quarter. The Base Management Fee for any partial month or quarter will be appropriately pro rated.
 
(b)           The Incentive Fee will be determined and payable in arrears as of the end of each calendar year (or upon termination of this Agreement, as set forth below), commencing on December 31, 2011, and will equal the lesser of (i) 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains during such calendar year, if any, calculated on an investment-by-investment basis, subject to a non-compounded preferred return, or “hurdle,” and a “catch-up” feature, and (ii) 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of each calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees.
 
(c)           For purposes of determining the Incentive Fee, the Company’s realized capital gains from each investment, expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since the Company initially acquired it, shall be compared to a hurdle rate of

 
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8.00% per year.  The Company shall only pay the Incentive Fee on any realized capital gains from an investment that exceeds the hurdle rate.  Subject to the limitation set forth in Section 3(d) below, the Company shall calculate the amount of the Incentive Fee payable to the Adviser with respect to the Company’s realized capital gains from each investment as follows:
 
 
(i)
No Incentive Fee shall be payable on the amount of any realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since the Company initially acquired it, does not exceed the hurdle rate of 8.00% per year.
 
 
(ii)
The Company shall include in the Incentive Fee 100% of the amount of any realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since the Company initially acquired it, exceeds the hurdle rate of 8.00% per year but is less than a rate of 10.00% per year.  The purpose of this Section 3(c)(ii) is to provide the Adviser with 20% of the amount of the Company’s realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since the Company initially acquired it, exceeds a rate of 10.00% per year.
 
 
(iii)
The Company shall include in the Incentive Fee 20% of the amount of any realized capital gains from an investment that, when expressed as a non-compounded annual rate of return on the cost of such investment since the Company initially acquired it, exceeds a rate of 10.00% per year.
 
(d)           Notwithstanding Section 3(c) above, in no event shall the Incentive Fee for any calendar year exceed 20% of the Company’s realized capital gains, if any, on a cumulative basis from inception through the end of such calendar year, computed net of all realized capital losses and unrealized capital depreciation on a cumulative basis, less the aggregate amount of any previously paid incentive fees.
 
Examples of Incentive Fee Calculation

Alternative 1:

Assumptions

 
Hurdle rate = 8.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
 
 
Hurdle rate = (purchase price) × (8% × (days owned/365))
 
 
Catch-up rate = 10.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
 
 
Catch-up rate = (purchase price) × (10% × (days owned/365))
 
 
Year 1: $20,000,000 investment made on March 15 in Company A (“Investment A”), and $30,000,000 investment made on February 1 in Company B (“Investment B”)
 
 
Year 2: Investment A is sold on September 15 for $25,000,000, and fair market value (“FMV”) of Investment B is determined to be $28,000,000

 
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Year 3: FMV of Investment B is determined to be $28,000,000
 
 
Year 4: Investment B is sold on March 1 for $38,000,000
 
The incentive fee would be calculated as follows:

 
Year 1: None
 
 
Year 2: Incentive fee calculation:
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (8% × (550 days / 365))
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment A = $2,410,959
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (10% × (550 days / 365)
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment A = $3,013,699
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment A = 20% × $5,000,000 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied and the catch up has been fully achieved)
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment A = $1,000,000
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × ($5,000,000 - $2,000,000 (unrealized depreciation on Investment B))
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × $3,000,000
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = $600,000
 
 
o
Incentive fee paid = $600,000 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment A exceeds the maximum incentive fee, the maximum incentive fee applies)
 
 
Year 3: None
 
 
Year 4: Incentive fee calculation:
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment B = ($30,000,000) × (8% × (1,124 days / 365))
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment B = $7,390,685
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment B = ($30,000,000) × (10% × (1,124 days / 365))
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment B = $9,238,356
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment B = 100% × ($8,000,000 – $7,390,685 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied, but the catch up has not been fully achieved)
 
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment B = $609,315
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)

 
5

 
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = (20% × $13,000,000) – ($600,000 (previously paid incentive fees))
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = $2,000,000
 
 
o
Incentive fee paid = $609,315 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment B does not exceed the maximum incentive fee)
 
Alternative 2:

Assumptions

 
Hurdle rate = 8.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
 
 
Hurdle rate = (purchase price) × (8% × (days owned/365))
 
 
Catch-up rate = 10.00% non-compounded annual rate of return
 
 
Catch-up rate = (purchase price) × (10% × (days owned/365))
 
 
Year 1: $20 million investment made on March 15 in Company A (“Investment A”), $30 million investment made on February 1 in Company B (“Investment B”), and $25 million investment made on September 1 in Company C (“Investment C”)
 
 
Year 2: Investment A is sold on September 15 for $50 million, FMV of Investment B is determined to be $25 million, and FMV of Investment C is determined to be $25 million
 
 
Year 3: FMV of Investment B is determined to be $27 million and Investment C is sold on March 1 for $30 million
 
 
Year 4: FMV of Investment B is determined to be $35 million
 
 
Year 5: Investment B is sold on December 1 for $20 million
 
The incentive fee would be calculated as follows:

 
Year 1: None
 
 
Year 2: Incentive fee calculation:
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (8% × (550 days / 365))
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment A = $2,410,959
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment A = ($20,000,000) × (10% × (550 days / 365))
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment A = $3,013,699
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment A = 20% × $30,000,000 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied and the catch up has been fully achieved)
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment A = $6,000,000
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)
 
 
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o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × ($30,000,000 - $5,000,000 (unrealized depreciation on Investment B))
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = $5,000,000
 
 
o
Incentive fee paid = $5,000,000 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment A exceeds the maximum incentive fee, the maximum incentive fee applies)
 
 
Year 3: Incentive fee calculation:
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment C = ($30,000,000) × (8% × (822 days / 365))
 
 
o
Hurdle rate for Investment C = $4,504,110
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment C = ($30,000,000) × (10% × (822 days / 365))
 
 
o
Catch-up rate for Investment C = $5,630,137
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment C = 100% × ($5,000,000 – $4,504,110 (since the hurdle rate has been satisfied, but the catch up has not been fully achieved)
 
 
o
Incentive fee on Investment C = $495,890
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × (cumulative realized capital gains – (cumulative realized losses + cumulative net unrealized depreciation)) – (previously paid incentive fees)
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = 20% × ($35,000,000 - $3,000,000 (unrealized depreciation on Investment B)) –  ($5,000,000 (previously paid incentive fees))
 
 
o
Maximum incentive fee = $1,400,000
 
 
o
Incentive fee paid = $495,890 (because the incentive fee payable on Investment C does not exceed the maximum incentive fee)
 
 
Year 4: None
 
 
Year 5: None
 
(e)           The Company intends to seek primarily minority equity positions in its portfolio companies. Although the Company expects to primarily invest through private secondary markets, to the extent the Company makes a direct minority investment in a portfolio company, neither the Company, nor the Adviser may have the ability to control the timing of when the Company realizes capital gains or losses with respect to such investment. The Company expects the timing of such realization events to be determined by its portfolio companies in such cases. To the extent the Company has non-minority investments, or the securities the Company holds are traded on a private secondary market or public securities exchange, the Adviser will have greater control over the timing of a realization event. In such cases, the Board will monitor such investments in connection with the Board’s general oversight of the investment management services provided by the Adviser. In addition, as of the end of each fiscal quarter, the Company will evaluate whether the cumulative aggregate unrealized appreciation on the Company’s portfolio would be sufficient to require the Company to pay an incentive fee to the Adviser if such unrealized appreciation were actually realized as of the end of such quarter, and if so, the Company will generally accrue an expense equal to the amount of such incentive fee.
 
 
7

 
 
4.
Covenants of the Adviser.
 
The Adviser covenants that it will remain registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act so long as the Company maintains its election to be regulated as a BDC under the Investment Company Act. The Adviser agrees that its activities will at all times be in compliance in all material respects with all applicable federal and state laws governing its operations and investments.
 
5.
Excess Brokerage Commissions.
 
The Adviser is hereby authorized, to the fullest extent now or hereafter permitted by law, to cause the Company to pay a member of a national securities exchange, broker or dealer an amount of commission for effecting a securities transaction in excess of the amount of commission another member of such exchange, broker or dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the Adviser determines in good faith, taking into account such factors as price (including the applicable brokerage commission or dealer spread), size of order, difficulty of execution, and operational facilities of the firm and the firm’s risk and skill in positioning blocks of securities, that such amount of commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and/or research services provided by such member, broker or dealer, viewed in terms of either that particular transaction or its overall responsibilities with respect to the Company’s portfolio, and constitutes the best net results for the Company.
 
6.
Limitations on the Employment of the Adviser.
 
The services of the Adviser to the Company are not exclusive, and the Adviser may engage in any other business or render similar or different services to others including, without limitation, the direct or indirect sponsorship or management of other investment based accounts or commingled pools of capital, however structured, having investment objectives similar to those of the Company, so long as its services to the Company hereunder are not impaired thereby, and nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to any other business, whether of a similar or dissimilar nature, or to receive any fees or compensation in connection therewith (including fees for serving as a director of, or providing consulting services to, one or more of the Company’s portfolio companies, subject to applicable law). So long as this Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment remains in effect, the Adviser shall be the only investment adviser for the Company, subject to the Adviser’s right to enter into sub-advisory agreements. The Adviser assumes no responsibility under this Agreement other than to render the services called for hereunder. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Company are or may become interested in the Adviser and its affiliates, as directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members, managers or otherwise, and that the Adviser and directors, officers, employees, partners, stockholders, members and managers of the Adviser and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Company as stockholders or otherwise.

 
8

 
 
7.
Responsibility of Dual Directors, Officers and/or Employees.
 
If any person who is a manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator is or becomes a director, officer and/or employee of the Company and acts as such in any business of the Company, then such manager, partner, officer and/or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator shall be deemed to be acting in such capacity solely for the Company, and not as a manager, partner, officer or employee of the Adviser or the Administrator or under the control or direction of the Adviser or the Administrator, even if paid by the Adviser or the Administrator.
 
8.
Limitation of Liability of the Adviser; Indemnification.
 
The Adviser (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation its sole member) shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Adviser in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Company (except to the extent specified in Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act concerning loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty (as the same is finally determined by judicial proceedings) with respect to the receipt of compensation for services), and the Company shall indemnify, defend and protect the Adviser (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members and any other person or entity affiliated with the Adviser, including without limitation its general partner and the Administrator, each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Company or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Adviser’s duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as an investment adviser of the Company.  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Section 8 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Company or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Adviser’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Adviser’s duties and obligations under this Agreement (as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff thereunder).
 
9.
Effectiveness, Duration and Termination of Agreement.
 
(a)           This Agreement shall become effective as of the first date above written.  The provisions of Section 8 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Adviser shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement.  Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as set forth in this Section 9, the Adviser shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 3 through the date of
 
 
9

 
 
termination or expiration and Section 8 shall continue in force and effect and apply to the Adviser and its representatives as and to the extent applicable.
 
(b)           This Agreement shall continue in effect for two years from the date hereof and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by (A) the vote of the Board, or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company and (B) the vote of a majority of the Company’s Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of any such party, in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
 
(c)           This Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon not more than 60 days written notice, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, or by the vote of the Company’s Directors or by the Adviser.
 
(d)           This Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its “assignment” (as such term is defined for purposes of Section 15(a)(4) of the Investment Company Act).
 
(e)           The provisions of Section 8 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Adviser shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement.  Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as aforesaid, the Adviser shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 3 through the date of termination or expiration and Section 8 shall continue in force and effect and apply to the Adviser and its representatives as and to the extent applicable.
 
10.
Notices.
 
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office.
 
11.
Amendments.
 
This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Company must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
 
12.
Entire Agreement; Governing Law.
 
This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof.  This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.
 
[Remainder of page intentionally blank]

 
10

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed on the date above written.
 
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
     
     
 
By:
 
   
Name: Michael T. Moe
   
Title:  President and Chief Executive Officer
     
     
 
NEXT ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
   
     
 
By:
 
   
Name: Michael T. Moe
   
Title:  Ma naging Member

 
11

 

Unassociated Document
Exhibit h.
 
[FORM OF UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT]
 
[●] Shares
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
 
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per Share
 
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
 
[●], 2011
 
 
 

 
 
March 28, 2011
 
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
Lazard Capital Markets LLC
As Representatives of the several
Underwriters named in Schedule I attached hereto,
c/o Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
520 Madison, 9th Floor
New York, New York 10022

Ladies and Gentlemen:
 
NeXt Innovation Corp., a corporation incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland (the “Fund”), is a non-diversified closed-end management investment company that has elected to be treated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”).  The Fund proposes to issue and sell to the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the “Underwriters”) [●] shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Firm Shares”).  The Fund also proposes to sell to the several Underwriters not more than an additional [●] shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Additional Shares”) if and to the extent that Landenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc. and Lazard Capital Markets LLC, as the representatives of the Underwriters in the offering (together the “Representatives”), shall have determined to exercise, on behalf of the Underwriters, the right to purchase such shares granted to the Underwriters in Section 3 hereof.  The Firm Shares and the Additional Shares are hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Shares.” The common stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Fund is hereinafter referred to as the “Common Stock.”
 
NeXt Asset Management, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Investment Adviser”), acts as the Fund’s investment adviser pursuant to an Investment Advisory Agreement between the Investment Adviser and the Fund (the “Investment Advisory Agreement”).  NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Administrator”), acts as the Fund’s administrator pursuant to an Administration Agreement between the Administrator and the Fund (the “Administration Agreement”, and together with the Investment Advisory Agreement, the “Fund Agreements”).
 
The Investment Company Act and the Securities Act of 1933 Act (the “Securities Act”) are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Acts,” and the rules and regulations of the Commission under the Acts and under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) are hereinafter referred to collectively as the “Rules and Regulations.”
 
 
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The Fund filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) a notification of intention to elect to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act on Form N-6F (File No. 814-00852) (the “Notification of Intent”) on January 7, 2011, and a notification of election to be regulated as a business development company under the Investment Company Act on Form N-54A (File No. 814-00852) (the “Notification of Election”) on [●].  In addition, the Fund has prepared and filed a registration statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-171578), including a related preliminary prospectus, for registration of the offer and sale of the Shares under the Securities Act, which registration statement was declared effective by the Commission on [●].  Such registration statement, as amended as of the Applicable Time (as defined below), including exhibits and financial statements and any prospectus supplement relating to the Shares that is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497 of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 497”) and deemed part of such registration statement as of its effective date pursuant to Rule 430A of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 430A”), and, in the event any post-effective amendment thereto or any registration statement filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act (a “Rule 462(b) Registration Statement”) becomes effective prior to the Closing Date (as defined below) (and, if any Additional Shares are purchased, at the Option Closing Date (as defined below)), such registration statement as so amended or such Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, as the case may be, is hereinafter referred to as the “Registration Statement.”  The preliminary prospectus, dated as of [●], which was included in the Registration Statement as of the date and time it became effective under the Securities Act, is hereinafter referred to as the “Preliminary Prospectus.”  The final prospectus, dated as of [●], to be filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 497 and which shall contain the pricing and related information permitted to be omitted from the Registration Statement as of its effective date in accordance with Rule 430A (the “Rule 430A Information”), is hereinafter referred to as the “Prospectus,” except that if any revised prospectus or prospectus supplement shall be provided to the Underwriters by the Fund for use in connection with the sale of the Shares which differs from the Prospectus, the term “Prospectus” shall also refer to such revised prospectus or prospectus supplement, as the case may be, from and after the time it is first provided to the Underwriters for such use.  All references in this Agreement to the Registration Statement, the Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, a Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, or any amendments or supplements to any of the foregoing shall be deemed to include any copy thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval System (“EDGAR”) system.
 
For purposes of this Agreement, “Omitting Prospectus” means any written advertisement used with the written consent of the Fund in the public offering of the Shares and filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 482 of the Rules and Regulations (“Rule 482”).  “Time of Sale Prospectus” means, as of the Applicable Time (as defined below), the Preliminary Prospectus, together with the information set forth on Schedule II hereto (which information the Underwriters have informed the Fund is being conveyed orally by the Underwriters to prospective purchasers at or prior to the Underwriters’ confirmation of sales of the Shares in the offering).  As used herein, the terms “Registration Statement,” “Preliminary Prospectus,” “Time of Sale Prospectus” and “Prospectus” shall include the documents, if any, incorporated by reference therein.
 
Applicable Time” means [●] (Eastern Time) on [●] or such other time as agreed by the Fund and the Representatives.
 
1.           Representations and Warranties.
 
Representations and Warranties of the Fund. The Fund represents and warrants to each of the Underwriters as of the date hereof, the Applicable Time and the Closing Date as follows:
 
 
2

 
 
(a)           The Registration Statement has been filed with, and declared effective by, the Commission; no notice of objection of the Commission to the use of such Registration Statement or any post-effective amendment thereto has been received by the Fund; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement is in effect, and no proceedings for such purpose are pending before or, to the knowledge of the Fund, threatened by the Commission.  The Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus delivered to the Underwriters for use in connection with this offering was identical in all material respects to the electronically transmitted copies thereof filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR, except to the extent permitted by Regulation S-T.  If a Rule 462(b) Registration Statement is required in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares, the Fund has complied or will comply with the requirements of Rule 111 of the Rules and Regulations relating to the payment of filing fees thereof.  At the time of filing the Registration Statement, any 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendments thereto, and at the date hereof, the Fund was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405 of the Rules and Regulations.
 
(b)           At the respective times the Registration Statement, any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement and any post-effective amendment thereto (filed before the Closing Date) became effective and at the Closing Date (and, if any Additional Shares are purchased, at the Option Closing Date), the Registration Statement, any post-effective amendment thereto, and any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement complied and will comply in all material respects with the requirements of the Securities Act and the Rules and Regulations and did not and will not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  Neither the Prospectus nor any amendment or supplement thereto, as of the respective dates thereof and at the Closing Date (and, if any Additional Shares are purchased, at the Option Closing Date), contained or will contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or will omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The Time of Sale Prospectus, at the Applicable Time, did not contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.  The representations and warranties in this paragraph do not apply to statements in or omissions from the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus made solely in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Fund by the Representatives on behalf of any Underwriter for use in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or Prospectus.
 
(c)           The Notification of Intent was filed with the Commission on January 7, 2011 under the Investment Company Act and the Notification of Election was filed with the Commission on [●] under the Investment Company Act.
 
(d)           The Fund has been duly incorporated and is validly existing in good standing as a corporation under the laws of the State of Maryland.  The Fund has full power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and enter into this Agreement and the other Fund Agreements and is in good standing and is duly qualified to transact business in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of the Fund (a “Fund Material Adverse Effect”).  The Fund has no consolidated subsidiaries.
 
 
3

 
 
(e)           The Fund has duly elected to be treated by the Commission under the Investment Company Act as a “business development company” (the “BDC Election”) and the Fund has not filed with the Commission any notice of withdrawal of the BDC Election pursuant to Section 54(c) of the Investment Company Act, and no order of suspension or revocation of such BDC Election has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the knowledge of the Fund, threatened by the Commission.
 
(f)           The Fund is, and at all times through the completion of the transactions contemplated hereby will be, in compliance in all material respects with the applicable terms and conditions of the Act, the Investment Company Act and the Rules and Regulations.  No person is serving or acting as an officer or director of, or investment adviser to, the Fund except in accordance with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”).  Except as otherwise disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, to the knowledge of the Fund, based on information provided to the Fund by directors of the Fund, no director of the Fund is an “interested person” of the Fund or an “affiliated person” of any Underwriter (each as defined in the Investment Company Act).
 
(g)           Each of this Agreement and the Fund Agreements has been duly authorized by the Fund. Each Fund Agreement complies with all applicable provisions of the Acts, the Advisers Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations.  The Fund has adopted a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the “Plan”).  Each Fund Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Fund and (assuming the due and valid authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto) represents a valid and binding agreement of the Fund, enforceable against the Fund in accordance with its terms, except (a) as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of public policy and subject to the qualification that the enforceability of the Fund’s obligations thereunder may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and (b) in the case of the Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to termination under the Investment Company Act or the reasonableness or fairness of compensation payable thereunder.
 
(h)           None of (1) the execution and delivery by the Fund of, and the performance by the Fund of its obligations under, this Agreement and each Fund Agreement, or (2) the issue and sale by the Fund of the Shares as contemplated by this Agreement conflicts with or  will conflict with, result in, or constitute a violation, breach of, default under, (x) the articles of incorporation of the Fund, as amended to date (the “Charter”) or the bylaws of the Fund, as amended to date (the “Bylaws”)(y) any agreement, indenture, note, bond, license, lease or other instrument or obligation binding upon the Fund that is material to the Fund, or (z) any law, rule or regulation applicable to the Fund or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Fund, whether foreign or domestic; except, with respect to clauses (y) or (z), any contravention which would have neither (i) a Fund Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided that no representation or warranty is made with respect to compliance with the laws of any jurisdiction outside of the United States in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares in such jurisdiction by any Underwriter.
 
 
4

 
 
(i)           No consent, approval, authorization, order or permit of, license from, or qualification with, any governmental body, agency or authority, self-regulatory organization or court or other tribunal, whether foreign or domestic, is required to be obtained by the Fund prior to the Closing Date for the performance by the Fund of its obligations under this Agreement or the  Fund Agreements, except such as have been obtained and as may be required by (i) the Acts, the Advisers Act, the Exchange Act, or the applicable Rules and Regulations, (ii) the rules and regulations of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) or the Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”), (iii) by the securities or “blue sky laws” of the various states and foreign jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares or (iv) such as which the failure to obtain would have neither (i) a Fund Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
 
(j)           The authorized, issued and outstanding capital stock of the Fund conforms in all material respects to the description thereof under the heading “Description of Securities” in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and this Agreement, the Charter, the Bylaws, the Fund Agreements and the Plan conform in all material respects to the descriptions thereof contained in each of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus.
 
(k)          This Agreement, the Charter and the Bylaws, the Fund Agreements and the Plan comply with all applicable provisions of the Acts and the applicable Rules and Regulations, and all approvals of such documents required under the Investment Company Act by the Fund’s shareholders and Board of Directors have been obtained and are in full force and effect.
 
(l)           The Fund Agreements are in full force and effect and neither the Fund nor, to the knowledge of the Fund, any other party to any such agreement is in default thereunder, and no event has occurred which with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a default by the Fund thereunder, and the Fund is not currently in breach of, or in default under, any other written agreement or instrument to which it or its property is bound or affected, the default under or breach of which could reasonably be expected to have a material adverse effect on the Fund.
 
(m)         The shares of Common Stock outstanding prior to the issuance of the Firm Shares have been duly authorized and are validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable.  None of the outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Fund was issued in violation of the preemptive or other similar rights of any securityholder of the Fund.  Other than as contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, no options, warrants or other rights to purchase, agreements or other obligations to issue, or rights to convert any obligations into or exchange any securities for, shares of capital stock of or ownership interests in the Fund are outstanding.
 
 
5

 
 
(n)          The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable, and the issuance of the Shares will not be subject to any preemptive or similar rights.  The Shares conform to the description thereof under the heading “Description of Securities” contained in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and such description conforms in all material respects to the rights set forth in the instruments defining the same.  The certificates for the Shares are in valid and legal form.
 
(o)          The Shares have been approved for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject to official notice of issuance.
 
(p)          Each Omitting Prospectus (i) complies in all material respects with the requirements of Rule 482, (ii) does not contain an untrue statement of a material fact and (iii) complied and will comply in all material respects with the Acts, the Rules and Regulations and the rules and regulations of the FINRA.  Except for the Omitting Prospectuses identified on Schedule III hereto, the Fund has not prepared, used or referred to and will not, without your prior consent, prepare, use or refer to any Omitting Prospectus.
 
(q)          There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development reasonably likely to involve a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Fund from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus, and there have been no transactions entered into by the Fund which are material to the Fund other than those in the ordinary course of its business or as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
 
(r)           There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Fund, threatened to which the Fund is a party or to which any of the properties of the Fund is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a material adverse effect on the Fund, or on the power or ability of the Fund to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectuses or the Prospectus and are not so described.
 
(s)          The statements in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus under the headings “Summary – Operating and Regulatory Structure”, “Investment Advisory Agreement”, “Administration Agreement”, “Regulation as a Business Development Company”, “Dividend Reinvestment Plan”, “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” and  “Description of Securities”, insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings.
 
(t)           The Fund has all necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, orders (including exemptive orders), licenses, certificates, permits, qualifications and registrations of and from, and has made all declarations and filings with, all governmental authorities, self-regulatory organizations and courts and other tribunals, whether foreign or domestic, to own and use its assets and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except to the extent that the failure to obtain or file the foregoing would not result in a Fund Material Adverse Effect.
 
 
6

 
 
(u)          Each of the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, as of the respective dates thereof, and the Time of Sale Prospectus, as of the Applicable Time, complied in all material respects with the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations.
 
(v)          When the Notification of Election and any amendment or supplement thereto were filed with the Commission, it (i) contained all statements required to be stated therein in accordance with, and complied in all material respects with the requirements of, the Investment Company Act and the Investment Company Act Rules and Regulations, as applicable to business development companies, and (ii) did not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.  The Fund has duly elected to be treated by the Commission under the Investment Company Act as a “business development company” (the “BDC Election”) and the Fund has not filed with the Commission any notice of withdrawal of the BDC Election pursuant to Section 54(c) of the Investment Company Act.  The BDC Election is effective, and no order of suspension or revocation of such election has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the Fund’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission.
 
(w)         Except as otherwise contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospects and the Prospectus, the schedule of investments included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, together with the related notes thereto (collectively, the “Fund Financial Statements”), present fairly the financial condition of the Fund as of the date indicated and said Fund Financial Statements comply as to form with the requirements of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and have been prepared in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).  The supporting schedules to such Fund Financial Statements, if any, present fairly in accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein.  [●], whose report appears in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus and who have certified the Fund Financial Statements and supporting schedules, if any, included in the Registration Statement, is an independent registered public accounting firm as required by the Acts and the applicable Rules and Regulations.
 
(x)          There are no material restrictions, limitations or regulations with respect to the ability of the Fund to invest its assets as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, other than as described therein.
 
(y)          Neither the Fund nor any of its agents or representatives (other than the Underwriters in their capacity as such) has prepared, made, used, authorized, approved or referred to any written communication that constitutes an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy the Shares other than (i) the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, and any amendment or supplement to any of the foregoing, and (ii) the Omitting Prospectuses, if any, identified on Schedule III hereto.  All other promotional material (including “road show slides” or “road show scripts”) prepared by the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator for use in connection with the offering and sale of the Shares (“Road Show Material”) is not inconsistent with the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, and when taken together with the Time of Sale Prospectus, at the Applicable Time, did not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.
 
 
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(z)          There are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Fund and any person granting such person the right to require the Fund to file a registration statement under the Securities Act with respect to any securities of the Fund or to require the Fund to include such securities with the Shares registered pursuant to the Registration Statement.
 
(aa)        The expense summary information set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus in the “Fees and Expenses” Table has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of Form N-2 and any fee projections or estimates, if applicable, are reasonably based and comply in all material respects with the requirements of Form N-2.
 
(bb)       Subsequent to the respective dates as of which information is given in each of the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, (i) the Fund has not incurred any material liability or obligation, direct or contingent, nor entered into any material transaction; (ii) the Fund has not purchased any of its outstanding capital stock, nor declared, paid or otherwise made any dividend or distribution of any kind on its capital stock, other than ordinary and customary dividends; and (iii) there has not been any material change in the capital stock, short-term debt or long-term debt of the Fund, except in each case as contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, respectively.
 
(cc)        The Fund owns or possesses, or can acquire on reasonable terms, all material patents, patent rights, licenses, inventions, copyrights, know-how (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures), trademarks, service marks and trade names currently employed by them in connection with the business now operated by it, and the Fund has not received any notice of infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any of the foregoing which, singly or in the aggregate, if the subject of an unfavorable decision, ruling or finding, would have a material adverse effect on the Fund.
 
(dd)       The Fund maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations and with the applicable requirements of the Acts; (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles and to maintain asset accountability and compliance with the books and records requirements under the Acts; (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization; and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.  Since the date of the Fund’s most recent audited financial statements included in the Prospectus, there has been (i) no material weakness in the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting (whether or not remediated) and (ii) no change in the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Fund’s internal control over financial reporting.
 
(ee)        The Fund maintains “disclosure controls and procedures” (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Rules and Regulations); such disclosure controls and procedures are effective; and the Fund is not aware of any material weakness in such controls and procedures.
 
 
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(ff)         Neither the Fund nor, to the knowledge of the Fund, any employee nor agent of the Fund has made any payment of funds of the Fund or received or retained any funds, which payment, receipt or retention is of a character to be disclosed in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
 
(gg)       Any statistical and market-related data included in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus are based on or derived from sources that the Fund believes to be reliable and accurate.
 
(hh)       The Fund has obtained for the benefit of the Underwriters the agreement (a “Lock-Up Agreement”), in the form requested by the Representatives, of those individuals set forth on Schedule IV hereto.
 
(ii)          There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (or the documents incorporated by reference therein) or to be filed as exhibits thereto by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations which have not been so described and filed as required.
 
(jj)          The operations of the Fund are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements and the money laundering statutes and the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Money Laundering Laws”) and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Fund with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Fund, threatened.
 
(kk)        Neither the Fund, the Adviser nor the Administrator nor, to the knowledge of the Fund, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator is aware of or has taken any action, directly or indirectly, that would result in a violation by such persons of the Foreign Corruption Practices Act of 1977, as amended, and the rules and regulations thereunder (“FCPA”), including, without limitation, making use of the mails or any means or instrumentality of interstate commerce corruptly in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay or authorization of the payment of any money, or other property, gift, promise to give, or authorization of the giving of anything of value to any “foreign official” (as such term is defined in FCPA) or any foreign political party or official thereof or any candidate for foreign political office, in contravention of the FCPA and the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator, and to the knowledge of the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator, its affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with the FCPA and have instituted and maintain policies and procedures designed to ensure, and which are reasonably expected to continue to ensure, continued compliance therewith.
 
 
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(ll)          Neither the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator nor, to the knowledge of the Fund, any director, officer, agent, employee or affiliate of the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator is currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasure Department (“OFAC”) and neither the Fund, the Adviser or the Administrator will directly or indirectly use the proceeds of the offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other person or entity, for the purpose of financing the activities of any person currently subject to any U.S. sanctions administered by OFAC.
 
(mm)      The Fund is insured by insurers of recognized financial responsibility against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are prudent and customary in the businesses in which it is engaged; all policies of insurance insuring the Fund or its business, assets, employees, officers and directors, including the Fund’s directors and officers errors and omissions insurance policy and its fidelity bond required by Rule 17g-1 of the Rules and Regulations, are in full force and effect the Fund is in compliance with the terms of such policies and fidelity bond in all material respects; and there are no claims by the Fund under any such policies or fidelity bond as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; the Fund has not been refused any insurance coverage sought or applied for; and the Fund has no reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage and fidelity bond as and then such coverage and fidelity bond expires or to obtain similar coverage and fidelity bond from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not result in a Fund Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus (exclusive of any supplement thereto).
 
(nn)       Except as set forth in or contemplated in the Preliminary Prospectus and the Prospectus, the Fund (i) does not have any material lending or other relationship with any bank or lending affiliate of either of the Representatives (the description of such arrangements and outstanding indebtedness thereunder is true, accurate and complete in all respects) and (ii) does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Shares hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any affiliate of either of the Representatives.
 
(oo)       There are no business relationships or related-party transactions involving the Fund or any other person required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus which have not been described as required, it being understood and agreed that the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator make no representation or warranty with respect to such relationships involving any Underwriter or any affiliate and any other person that have not been disclosed to the Fund by the relevant Underwriter in connection with this offering.
 
(pp)       None of the Fund, the Investment Adviser, the Administrator nor any of their affiliates has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
 
(qq)       The Fund owns, leases or has rights to use all such properties as are necessary to the conduct of its operations as presently conducted.
 
(rr)         No director or officer of the Fund or Investment Adviser is subject to any non-competition agreement or non-solicitation agreement with any employer or prior employer which could materially affect his ability to be and act in his respective capacity of the Fund or Investment Adviser or have a material adverse effect on the Fund.
 
 
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Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Fund and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to a representation and warranty by the Fund as to the matters covered therein to each Underwriter.
 
2.           Representations and Warranties of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator.  The Investment Adviser and the Administrator represent and warrant to and agree with each of the Underwriters as of the date hereof as follows:
 
(a)          Each of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator has been duly formed and is validly existing as a limited liability company in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with the corporate power and authority to own its property and to conduct its business as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and enter into this Agreement and the other Fund Agreements to which the Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party, as the case may be, and is duly qualified to transact business and is in good standing in each jurisdiction in which the conduct of its business or its ownership or leasing of property requires such qualification, except to the extent that the failure to be so qualified or be in good standing would not have a material adverse effect on the condition, financial or otherwise, or on the earnings, business or operations of the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as the case may be (an “Adviser/Administrator Material Adverse Effect”).  Each of the Investment Adviser and Administrator has no subsidiaries.
 
(b)          The Investment Adviser is duly registered as an investment adviser under the Advisers Act, and is not prohibited by the Advisers Act or the Investment Company Act from acting under the Investment Advisory Agreement as an investment adviser to the Fund as contemplated by the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, and no order of suspension or revocation of such registration has been issued or proceedings therefor initiated or, to the knowledge of the Investment Adviser, threatened by the Commission.
 
(c)          Each of this Agreement and the Fund Agreements to which the Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party, as the case may be, has been duly authorized by the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable.  Each Fund Agreement to which the Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party, complies with the applicable provisions of the Acts, the Advisers Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations.  Each Fund Agreement to which the Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party has been duly executed and delivered by the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable and (assuming the due and valid authorization, execution and delivery by the other parties thereto) represents a valid and binding agreement of the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, enforceable against the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, in accordance with its terms, except (a) as rights to indemnity and contribution may be limited by federal or state securities laws or principles of public policy and subject to the qualification that the enforceability of the Investment Adviser’s or the Administrator’s obligations thereunder, as applicable, may be limited by bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium, and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and by general equitable principles whether enforcement is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law, and (b) in the case of the Investment Advisory Agreement, with respect to termination under the Investment Company Act or the reasonableness or fairness of compensation payable thereunder.
 
 
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(d)          The execution and delivery by the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, of, and the performance by the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, of its obligations under, this Agreement and each Fund Agreement to which the Investment Adviser or the Administrator is a party, respectively, does not conflict with or will conflict with, result in, or constitute a violation, breach of, default under, (x) the limited liability company operating agreement of the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable (y) any agreement, indenture, note, bond, license, lease or other instrument or obligation binding upon the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, that is material to the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, or (z) any law, rule or regulation applicable to the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, or any judgment, order or decree of any governmental body, agency or court having jurisdiction over the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, whether foreign or domestic; except, with respect to clauses (y) or (z), any contravention which would have neither (i) an Adviser/Administrator Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement; provided that no representation or warranty is made with respect to compliance with the laws of any jurisdiction outside of the United States in connection with the offer or sale of the Shares in such jurisdiction by any Underwriter.
 
(e)          No consent, approval, authorization, order or permit of, license from, or qualification or registration with any governmental body, agency or authority, self-regulatory organization or court or other tribunal, whether foreign or domestic, is required to be obtained by the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, prior to the Closing Date for the performance by the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, of its obligations under this Agreement or any Fund Agreement to which it is a party, except such as have been obtained and as may be required by (i) the Acts, the Advisers Act, the Exchange Act, or the applicable Rules and Regulations, (ii) the rules and regulations of the FINRA or Nasdaq, (iii) by the securities or “blue sky laws” of the various states and foreign jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares or (iv) such as which the failure to obtain would have neither (i) an Adviser/Administrator Material Adverse Effect or (ii) a material adverse effect on the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
 
(f)           There are no legal or governmental proceedings pending or, to the knowledge of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, threatened to which the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator is a party or to which any of the properties of the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator is subject (i) other than proceedings accurately described in all material respects in the Time of Sale Prospectus and proceedings that would not have a material adverse effect on the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, or on the power or ability of the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator, as applicable, to perform its obligations under this Agreement or to consummate the transactions contemplated by the Time of Sale Prospectus or (ii) that are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectuses or the Prospectus and are not so described.
 
 
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(g)          There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus (or the documents incorporated by reference therein) or to be filed as exhibits thereto by the Securities Act or by the Rules and Regulations which have not been so described and filed as required.
 
(h)          Each of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator has all necessary consents, authorizations, approvals, orders (including exemptive orders), licenses, certificates, permits, qualifications and registrations of and from, and has made all declarations and filings with, all governmental authorities, self-regulatory organizations and courts and other tribunals, whether foreign or domestic, to own and use its assets and to conduct its business in the manner described in the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, except to the extent that the failure to obtain or file the foregoing would not result in an Adviser/Administrator Material Adverse Effect.
 
(i)           Each of the Investment Adviser and Administrator has the financial resources available to it necessary for the performance of its services and obligations as contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus and by this Agreement and each Fund Agreement to which it is a party.
 
(j)           The Investment Advisory Agreement is in full force and effect and neither the Investment Adviser nor, to the knowledge of the Investment Adviser, any other party to the Investment Advisory Agreement is in default thereunder, and, no event has occurred which with the passage of time or the giving of notice or both would constitute a default by the Investment Adviser under such document.
 
(k)          All information furnished by the Investment Adviser for use in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and Prospectus, including, without limitation, the description of the Investment Adviser (the “Investment Adviser Information”) does not, and on the Closing Date will not, contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make such information not misleading (in the case of the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, in light of the circumstances under which such information is provided).
 
(l)           There has not occurred any material adverse change, or any development reasonably likely to involve a prospective material adverse change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Investment Adviser from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus, and there have been no transactions entered into by the Investment Adviser which are material to the Investment Adviser other than those in the ordinary course of its business or as described in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
 
(m)         Neither the Investment Adviser nor the Administrator, nor any of their affiliates, has taken, directly or indirectly, any action which constitutes or is designed to cause or result in, or which could reasonably be expected to constitute, cause or result in, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security to facilitate the sale or resale of the Shares.
 
 
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(n)          The operations of the Investment Adviser and the Administrator are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with applicable Money Laundering Laws and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Investment Adviser or the Administrator with respect to the Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, threatened.
 
(o)          The Investment Adviser maintains a system of internal controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions effectuated by it under the Investment Advisory Agreement are executed in accordance with its management’s general or specific authorization and (ii) access to the Fund’s assets is permitted only in accordance with its management’s general or specific authorization.
 
(p)          The Administrator maintains a system of internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance that (i) transactions for which it has bookkeeping and record keeping responsibility for under the Administration Agreement are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Fund’s financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for the Fund’s assets and (ii) the recorded accountability for such assets if compared with existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.
 
Any certificate signed by or on behalf of the Investment Adviser or the Administrator and delivered to the Representatives or counsel for the Underwriters in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to a representation and warranty by the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, as to the matters covered therein to each Underwriter.
 
3.           Agreements to Sell and Purchase.  The Fund hereby agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each Underwriter, upon the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained, but subject to the conditions hereinafter stated, agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Fund the respective numbers of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite its name at $[●] a share (the “Purchase Price”).
 
On the basis of the representations and warranties contained in this Agreement, and subject to its terms and conditions, the Fund agrees to sell to the Underwriters the Additional Shares and the Underwriters shall have the right to purchase, severally and not jointly, up to [●] Additional Shares at the Purchase Price.  The Representatives may exercise this right on behalf of the Underwriters in whole or from time to time in part by giving written notice to the Fund not later than thirty (30) days after the date of this Agreement.  Any exercise notice shall specify the number of Additional Shares to be purchased by the Underwriters and the date on which such shares are to be purchased.  Each purchase date must be at least one business day after the written notice is given and may not be earlier than the closing date for the Firm Shares not later than ten business days after the date of such notice.  Additional Shares may be purchased as provided in Section 5 hereof solely for the purpose of covering over-allotments made in connection with the offering of the Firm Shares.  On each Option Closing Date, if any, that Additional Shares are to be purchased, each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase the number of Additional Shares (subject to such adjustments to eliminate fractional shares as the Representatives may determine) that bears the same proportion to the total number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date as the number of Firm Shares set forth in Schedule I hereto opposite the name of such Underwriter bears to the total number of Firm Shares.
 
 
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The Fund hereby agrees that, without the prior written consent of the Representatives on behalf of the Underwriters, it will not, during the period ending 180 days after the date of the Prospectus, (1) offer, pledge, sell, contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any option or contract to sell, grant any option, right or warrant to purchase, lend, or otherwise transfer or dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock or (2) enter into any swap or other arrangement that transfers to another, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Common Stock, whether any such transaction described in clause (1) or (2) above is to be settled by delivery of Common Stock or such other securities, in cash or otherwise or (3) file any registration statement with the Commission relating to the offering of any Common Stock or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Common Stock.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if (1) during the last 17 days of the 180-day restricted period, the Fund issues an earnings release or material news or a material event relating to the Fund occurs; or (2) prior to the expiration of the 60-day restricted period, the Fund announces that it will release earnings results during the 16-day period following the last day of the 180-day restricted period, then in each case the restrictions imposed by this Agreement shall continue to apply until the expiration of the 18-day period beginning on the date of the release of the earnings results or the occurrence of material news or a material event relating to the Fund, as the case may be, unless the Representatives waive, in writing, such extension.  The agreements contained in this paragraph shall not apply to the Shares to be sold hereunder or any Common Stock issued pursuant to the Plan.
 
4.           Terms of Public Offering.  The Fund and the Investment Adviser each understands that the Underwriters propose to make a public offering of their respective portions of the Shares as soon as the Representatives deem advisable after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.  The Fund and the Investment Adviser each further understands that the Shares are to be offered to the public initially at $[●]a share (the “Public Offering Price”), and to certain dealers selected by the Representatives at a price that represents a concession not in excess of $[●] a share under the Public Offering Price.
 
5.           Payment and Delivery.  Payment for the Firm Shares shall be made to the Fund in Federal or other funds immediately available to a bank account designated by the Fund against delivery of such Firm Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time), on [●], or at such other time on the same or such other date, not later than 10 business days after the Closing Date, as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives.  The time and date of such payment are herein referred to as the “Closing Date.”
 
Payment for any Additional Shares shall be made to the Fund in Federal or other funds immediately available to a bank account designated by the Fund against delivery of such Additional Shares for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters at 10:00 A.M. (New York City time), on the date specified in the corresponding notice described in Section 3 or at such other time on the same or on such other date, in any event not later than [●], as shall be designated in writing by the Representatives.  The time and date of any such payment for Additional Shares are herein referred to as the “Option Closing Date.”
 
 
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The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be registered in such names and in such denominations as you shall request in writing not later than one full business day prior to the Closing Date or the applicable Option Closing Date, as the case may be.  The Firm Shares and Additional Shares shall be delivered to you through the facilities of DTC on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, for the respective accounts of the several Underwriters, with any transfer taxes payable in connection with the transfer of the Shares to the Underwriters duly paid, against payment of the Purchase Price therefor.
 
6.           Conditions to the Underwriters’ Obligations.  The respective obligations of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, and the several obligations of the Underwriters, hereunder are subject to the condition that the Registration Statement, including any Rule 462(b) Registration Statement, has become effective and at the Closing Date no stop order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement shall have been issued under the Securities Act and no proceedings with respect thereto shall have been initiated or, to the Fund’s knowledge, threatened by the Commission, and any request on the part of the Commission for additional information shall have been complied with to the reasonable satisfaction of counsel to the Underwriters.  A prospectus containing the Rule 430A Information shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with Rule 497 (or a post-effective amendment providing such information shall have been filed and declared effective in accordance with the requirements of Rule 430A under the Securities Act).
 
The several obligations of the Underwriters are subject to the following further conditions:
 
(a)          Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date, there shall not have occurred any change, or any development involving a prospective change, in the condition, financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business or operations of the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, from that set forth in the Time of Sale Prospectus that, in the Representatives’ reasonable judgment, is material and adverse and that makes it, in the Representatives’ reasonable judgment, impracticable to market the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
 
(b)          The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Fund, to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Fund and contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Fund has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.  The Underwriters shall also have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Investment Adviser, to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Investment Adviser and contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Investment Adviser has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.  The Underwriters shall also have received on the Closing Date a certificate, dated the Closing Date and signed by an executive officer of the Administrator, to the effect that the representations and warranties of the Administrator and contained in this Agreement are true and correct as of the Closing Date and that the Administrator has complied with all of the agreements and satisfied all of the conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder on or before the Closing Date.
 
 
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Each officer signing and delivering such a certificate may rely upon his or her knowledge as to proceedings threatened.
 
(c)          Each of the Investment Adviser, the Administrator and the Fund shall have performed all of their respective obligations to be performed hereunder on or prior to the Closing Date.
 
(d)          The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date an opinion and negative assurance letter of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, counsel for the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, dated the Closing Date, satisfactory to the Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters in form and substance, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A hereto.
 
(e)          The Underwriters shall have received on the Closing Date the favorable opinion of Blank Rome LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, dated the Closing Date, and covering such matters as the Underwriters shall reasonably request.
 
The opinion of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP described in Section 6(d) above shall be rendered to the Underwriters at the request of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, as applicable, and shall so state therein.  Such opinion shall include a statement to the effort that it may be relied upon by counsel for the Underwriters as to the laws of the State of Maryland in any opinion delivered to the Underwriters.
 
(f)           The Underwriters shall have received, on each of the date hereof and the Closing Date, a letter dated the date hereof or the Closing Date, as the case may be, in form and substance satisfactory to the Underwriters, from [●], independent registered public accountants, containing statements and information of the type ordinarily included in accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters with respect to the financial statements and certain financial information contained in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus and the Prospectus, provided that the letter delivered on the Closing Date shall use a “cut-off date” not earlier than the date hereof.
 
(g)          All filings, applications and proceedings taken by the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator in connection with the registration of the Shares under the Securities Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations shall be satisfactory in form and substance to you and counsel for the Underwriters.
 
(h)          No action, suit, proceeding, inquiry or investigation shall have been instituted or threatened by the Commission which would adversely affect the Fund’s standing as a business development company under the Investment Company Act or the standing of the Investment Adviser as a registered investment adviser under the Advisers Act.
 
(i)           The Shares shall have been duly authorized for listing on the Nasdaq Capital Market, subject only to official notice of issuance thereof.
 
 
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The several obligations of the Underwriters to purchase Additional Shares hereunder are subject to the delivery to you on the applicable Option Closing Date of such documents as you may reasonably request with respect to the good standing of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, the due authorization and issuance of the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date and other matters related to the issuance of such Additional Shares, and officers’ certificates, opinions of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan L.L.P. to the effect set forth above, and comfort letters of [●] to the effect set forth above, except that such certificates, opinions and comfort letters shall be dated as of the applicable Option Closing Date and statements and opinions above contemplated to be given as of the Closing Date shall instead be made and given as of such Option Closing Date.
 
7.           Covenants of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator.  In further consideration of the agreements of the Underwriters herein contained, the Fund covenants and agrees, and the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, covenant and agree with the Underwriters as follows:
 
(a)          To notify the Underwriters as soon as practicable, and confirm such notice in writing, of the happening of any event during the period mentioned in Section 7(h) below which in the judgment of the Fund makes any statement in the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Omitting Prospectus or the Prospectus untrue in any material respect or which requires the making of any change in or addition to the Registration Statement, the Time of Sale Prospectus, any Omitting Prospectus or the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein not misleading in any material respect.  If at any time the Commission shall issue any order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration Statement, the Fund will use its best efforts to obtain the withdrawal of such order at the earliest possible moment.
 
(b)          To furnish to the Representatives in New York City, without charge, prior to 10:00 A.M. (New York City time) on the business day next succeeding the date of this Agreement and during the period mentioned in Section 7(h) below, as many copies of the Preliminary Prospectus, Prospectus and any supplements and amendments thereto or to the Registration Statement as the Representatives may reasonably request.
 
(c)          Before amending or supplementing the Registration Statement, the Preliminary Prospectus or the Prospectus, to furnish to the Representatives a copy of each such proposed amendment or supplement and not to file any such proposed amendment or supplement to which you reasonably object, and to file with the Commission within the applicable period specified in Rule 497 under the Securities Act any prospectus required to be filed pursuant thereto.
 
(d)          To furnish to the Representatives a copy of each proposed Omitting Prospectus to be prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Fund and not to use or refer to any proposed Omitting Prospectus to which the Representatives reasonably objects.
 
 
18

 
 
(e)          If the Time of Sale Prospectus is being used to solicit offers to buy the Shares at a time when the Prospectus is not yet available to prospective purchasers and any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances, not misleading, or if any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which the Time of Sale Prospectus materially conflicts with the information contained in the Registration Statement then on file, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Time of Sale Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to any dealer upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Time of Sale Prospectus so that the statements in the Time of Sale Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when delivered to a prospective purchaser, be misleading or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will no longer materially conflict with the Registration Statement, or so that the Time of Sale Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with applicable law, as applicable.
 
(f)           The Fund will use the net proceeds received by it from the sale of the Shares in the manner specified in the Time of Sale Prospectus.
 
(g)          The Fund and the Investment Adviser will not take any action designed to cause or result in the manipulation of the price of any security of the Fund to facilitate the sale of Shares in violation of the Acts or the Exchange Act and the applicable Rules and Regulations, or the securities or “blue sky” laws of the various states and foreign jurisdictions in connection with the offer and sale of Shares.
 
(h)          If, during such period after the first date of the public offering of the Shares as in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters the Prospectus is required by law to be delivered in connection with sales by an Underwriter or dealer, any event shall occur or condition exist as a result of which it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, not misleading, or if, in the opinion of counsel for the Underwriters, it is necessary to amend or supplement the Prospectus to comply with applicable law, forthwith to prepare, file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and to the dealers (whose names and addresses you will furnish to the Fund) to which Shares may have been sold by you on behalf of the Underwriters and to any other dealers upon request, either amendments or supplements to the Prospectus so that the statements in the Prospectus as so amended or supplemented will not, in the light of the circumstances when the Prospectus is delivered to a purchaser, be misleading or so that the Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, will comply with law, as applicable.
 
(i)           To endeavor to qualify the Shares for offer and sale under the securities or “blue sky” laws of such jurisdictions as the Underwriters shall reasonably request.
 
 
19

 
 
(j)           Whether or not the transactions contemplated in this Agreement are consummated or this Agreement is terminated, to pay or cause to be paid all expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Fund and the Investment Adviser under this Agreement, including: (i) the fees, disbursements and expenses of the Fund’s counsel and the Fund’s accountants in connection with the registration and delivery of the Shares under the Securities Act and all other fees or expenses in connection with the preparation and filing of the Notification of Intent, the Notification of Election, the Registration Statement, any preliminary prospectus, the Time of Sale Prospectus, the Prospectus, and any Omitting Prospectus prepared by or on behalf of, used by, or referred to by the Fund and amendments and supplements to any of the foregoing, including all printing costs associated therewith, and the mailing and delivering of copies thereof to the Underwriters and dealers, in the quantities hereinabove specified, (ii) all costs and expenses related to the transfer and delivery of the Shares to the Underwriters, including any transfer or other taxes payable thereon, (iii) the cost of printing or producing any ”blue sky” memorandum in connection with the offer and sale of the Shares under state securities laws and all expenses in connection with the qualification of the Shares for offer and sale under state securities laws as provided in Section 7(i) hereof, including filing fees and the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters in connection with such qualification and in connection with the Blue Sky memorandum, (iv) all filing fees and the reasonable disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters incurred in connection with the review and qualification of the offering of the Shares by the FINRA, (v) all costs and expenses incident to listing the Shares on the Nasdaq Capital Market, (vi) the cost of printing certificates representing the Shares, (vii) the costs and charges of any transfer agent, registrar or depositary, (viii) the costs and expenses of the Fund relating to investor presentations on any “road show” undertaken in connection with the marketing of the offering of the Shares, including, without limitation, expenses associated with the preparation or dissemination of any electronic road show, expenses associated with production of road show slides and graphics, the reasonable fees and expenses of any consultants engaged in connection with the road show presentations with the prior approval of the Fund, and the travel and lodging expenses of the representatives and officers of the Fund and any such consultants, (ix) the document production charges and expenses associated with printing this Agreement and (x) all other costs and expenses incident to the performance of the obligations of the Fund hereunder for which provision is not otherwise made in this Section 8(j).  It is understood, however, that except as provided in this Section, Section 8 entitled “Indemnity and Contribution” and the last paragraph of Section 10 below, the Underwriters will pay all of their costs and expenses, including fees and disbursements of their counsel, stock transfer taxes payable on resale of any of the Shares by them,  the travel and lodging expenses of the representatives of the Underwriters in connection with any road show presentations, and any advertising expenses connected with any offers they may make.
 
(k)          At the Applicable Time, the Fund will obtain for the benefit of the Underwriters, the Lock-Up Agreements.
 
(l)           The Fund will comply with all applicable securities and other applicable laws, rules and regulation, including, without limitation, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and will use reasonable efforts to cause the Fund’s directors and officers, in their capabilities, as such, to comply with such laws, rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley Act.
 
(m)         The Fund will use reasonable best efforts to maintain its status as a “business development company” under the 1940 Act, provided, however, that the Fund may change the nature of its business so as to cease to be, or withdraw its election to be treated as, a business development company with the approval of its Board of Directors and a vote of shareholders to the extent required by Section 58 of the 1940 Act.
 
(n)          The Fund will use reasonable best efforts to comply with the requirements of Subchapter M of the Code to qualify as a regulated investment company under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), with respect to any fiscal year in which the Fund is a business development company.
 
 
20

 
 
(o)          The Fund, the Adviser and the Administrator will use their reasonable efforts to perform all of the agreements required of them by this Agreement and discharge all conditions of theirs to closing as set forth in this Agreement.
 
(p)          Before using, approving or referring to any Road Show Material, the Fund will furnish to the Representatives and counsel to the Underwriters a copy of such material for review and will not make, prepare, use authorize, approve or refer to any such material to which the Representatives reasonably objects.
 
(q)          As soon as practicable, the Fund will make generally available to its security holders and to the Representatives an earnings statement or statements of the Fund which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act.
 
8.           Indemnity and Contribution.  (a)  The Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, jointly and severally, agree to indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act and each partner, director, officer, trustee, manager, member and shareholder of any Underwriter within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Securities Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”) from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim), caused by, arising out of, related to or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in the Registration Statement or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, any Omitting Prospectus, any Road Show Material, the Time of Sale Prospectus, or the Prospectus or any amendment or supplement thereto, or caused by any omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, except insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities are caused by any such untrue statement or omission or alleged untrue statement or omission based upon written information furnished to the Fund by the Representatives on behalf of any Underwriter expressly for use therein.
 
(b)          Each Underwriter agrees, severally and not jointly, to indemnify and hold harmless each of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, and each of their respective partners, directors, trustees, managers, members and shareholders (as the case may be), and each officer of the Fund who signs the Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Fund, the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Securities Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, a “Fund Indemnified Party”) to the same extent as the foregoing indemnity from the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator to such Underwriter, but only with reference to written information relating to the Underwriters furnished to the Fund by the Representatives on behalf of any Underwriter expressly for use in the Registration Statement, as originally filed with the Commission, or any amendment thereof, any preliminary prospectus, any Omitting Prospectus, any Road Show Material or the Time of Sale Prospectus.
 
 
21

 
 
(c)          In case any proceeding (including any governmental investigation) shall be instituted involving any person in respect of which indemnity may be sought pursuant to Section 8(a) or 8(b), such person (the “indemnified party”) shall promptly notify the person against whom such indemnity may be sought (the “indemnifying party”) in writing and the indemnifying party, upon request of the indemnified party, shall retain counsel reasonably satisfactory to the indemnified party to represent the indemnified party and any others the indemnifying party may designate in such proceeding and shall pay the fees and disbursements reasonably incurred of such counsel related to such proceeding.  In any such proceeding, any indemnified party shall have the right to retain its own counsel, but the fees and expenses of such counsel shall be at the expense of such indemnified party unless (i) the indemnifying party and the indemnified party shall have mutually agreed to the retention of such counsel, (ii) the use of counsel chosen by the indemnifying party to represent the indemnified party would present such counsel with an actual conflict of interest, or (iii) the named parties to any such proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the indemnifying party and the indemnified party and the indemnified party shall have reasonably concluded that there may be legal defenses available to it and/or other indemnified parties which are different from or additional to those available to the indemnifying party.  It is understood that the indemnifying party shall not, in respect of the legal expenses of any indemnified party in connection with any proceeding or related proceedings in the same jurisdiction, be liable for (i) the fees and expenses reasonably incurred of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Underwriter Indemnified Parties, collectively, and (ii) the fees and expenses reasonably incurred of more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for all Fund Indemnified Parties, collectively.  In the case of any such separate firm for the Underwriter Indemnified Parties, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Representatives.  In the case of any such separate firm for the Fund Indemnified Parties, such firm shall be designated in writing by the Fund.  The indemnifying party shall not be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent, but if settled with such consent or if there is a final judgment for the plaintiff, the indemnifying party agrees to indemnify the indemnified party from and against any loss or liability by reason of such settlement or judgment.  Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, if at any time an indemnified party shall have requested an indemnifying party to reimburse the indemnified party for the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel as contemplated by the second and third sentences of this Section 8(c), the indemnifying party agrees that it shall be liable for any settlement of any proceeding effected without its written consent if (i) such settlement is entered into more than 30 days after receipt by such indemnifying party of the aforesaid request, (ii) such indemnifying party shall have received notice of the material terms of such settlement at least 30 days prior to such settlement being entered into, and (ii) such indemnifying party shall not have reimbursed the indemnified party in accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.  No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened proceeding in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party, unless such settlement includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on claims that are the subject matter of such proceeding.
 
 
22

 
 
(d)          To the extent the indemnification provided for in Section 8(a) or 8(b) is unavailable to an indemnified party or insufficient in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to therein, then each indemnifying party under such paragraph, in lieu of indemnifying such indemnified party thereunder, shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Fund, the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Shares or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause 8(d)(i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause 8(d)(i) above but also the relative fault of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator on the one hand and of the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the statements or omissions that resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities, as well as any other relevant equitable considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Fund, the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering of the Shares shall be deemed to be in the same respective proportions as the net proceeds from the offering of the Shares (before deducting expenses) received by the Fund and the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters, in each case as set forth in the table on the cover of the Prospectus, bear to the aggregate Public Offering Price of the Shares.  The relative fault of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and/or the Administrator on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator or by the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission.  The Underwriters’ respective obligations to contribute pursuant to this Section 8 are several in proportion to the respective number of Shares they have purchased hereunder, and not joint.
 
(e)          The Fund, the Investment Adviser, the Administrator and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just or equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8 were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation that does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in Section 8(d).  The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages and liabilities referred to in Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include, subject to the limitations set forth above, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8, no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Shares underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages that such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission.  No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation.  The remedies provided for in this Section 8 are not exclusive and shall not limit any rights or remedies which may otherwise be available to any indemnified party at law or in equity.
 
(f)           The indemnity and contribution provisions contained in this Section 8 and the representations, warranties and other statements of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect regardless of (i) any termination of this Agreement, (ii) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Underwriter Indemnified Party or by or on behalf of any Fund Indemnified Party and (iii) acceptance of and payment for any of the Shares.
 
 
23

 
 
(g)          No party shall be entitled to indemnification under this Section 8 if such indemnification of such party would violate Section 17(i) of the Investment Company Act.
 
9.           Termination.  The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representatives to the Fund, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, any of the New York Stock Exchange, the NYSE Amex LLC, the NASDAQ Capital Market, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange or the Chicago Board of Trade, (ii) trading of any securities of the Fund shall have been suspended on any exchange or in any over-the-counter market, (iii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred, (iv) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (v) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the Representatives’ judgment, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (v), makes it, in your judgment, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Shares on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Time of Sale Prospectus or the Prospectus.
 
10.         Effectiveness; Defaulting Underwriters.  This Agreement shall become effective upon the execution and delivery hereof by the parties hereto.
 
If, on the Closing Date or an Option Closing Date, as the case may be, any one or more of the Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Shares that it has or they have agreed to purchase hereunder on such date, and the aggregate number of Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase is not more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of the Shares to be purchased on such date, the other Underwriters shall be obligated severally in the proportions that the number of Firm Shares set forth opposite their respective names in Schedule I bears to the aggregate number of Firm Shares set forth opposite the names of all such non-defaulting Underwriters, or in such other proportions as you may specify, to purchase the Shares which such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed or refused to purchase on such date; provided that in no event shall the number of Shares that any Underwriter has agreed to purchase pursuant to this Agreement be increased pursuant to this Section 10 by an amount in excess of one-ninth of such number of Shares without the written consent of such Underwriter.  If, on the Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Firm Shares and the aggregate number of Firm Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Firm Shares to be purchased on such date, and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Fund for the purchase of such Firm Shares are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement shall terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.  In any such case either the Representatives or the Fund shall have the right to postpone the Closing Date, but in no event for longer than seven days, in order that the required changes, if any, in the Registration Statement, in the Time of Sale Prospectus, in the Prospectus or in any other documents or arrangements may be affected.  If, on an Option Closing Date, any Underwriter or Underwriters shall fail or refuse to purchase Additional Shares and the aggregate number of Additional Shares with respect to which such default occurs is more than one-tenth of the aggregate number of Additional Shares to be purchased on such Option Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall have the option to (i) terminate their obligation hereunder to purchase the Additional Shares to be sold on such Option Closing Date or (ii) purchase not less than the number of Additional Shares that such non-defaulting Underwriters would have been obligated to purchase in the absence of such default.  Any action taken under this paragraph shall not relieve any defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of any default of such Underwriter under this Agreement.
 
 
24

 
 
If this Agreement shall be terminated by the Underwriters because of any failure or refusal on the part of the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator to comply with the terms or to fulfill any of the conditions of this Agreement, or if for any reason the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator shall be unable to perform its obligations under this Agreement, the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator, jointly and severally, will reimburse the Underwriters, severally, for all out-of-pocket accountable expenses (including the reasonable fees and disbursements of their counsel) actually incurred by the Underwriters in connection with this Agreement or the offering contemplated hereunder.
 
11.           Entire Agreement.  (a)  This Agreement supersedes all prior agreements and understandings (whether written or oral) between and among the Fund, the Investment Adviser, the Administrator and the Underwriters, or any of them, with respect to the subject matter hereof.
 
(b)          The Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator acknowledge that in connection with the offering of the Shares: (i) the Underwriters have acted at arms length, are not agents of, and owe no fiduciary duties to, the Fund, the Investment Adviser, the Administrator or any other person, (ii) the Underwriters owe the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator only those duties and obligations set forth in this Agreement and prior written agreements (to the extent not superseded by this Agreement), if any, and (iii) the Underwriters may have interests that differ from those of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator.  Each of the Fund, the Investment Adviser and the Administrator agree that it will not claim that the Underwriters owe an agency, fiduciary or similar duty to the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator in connection with offer or sale of the Shares or the process leading thereto.
 
12.           Counterparts.  This Agreement may be signed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original, with the same effect as if the signatures thereto and hereto were upon the same instrument.
 
13.           Applicable Law.  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the internal laws of the State of New York applicable to contracts made and to be performed within the State of New York.
 
14.           Headings.  The headings of the sections of this Agreement have been inserted for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part of this Agreement.
 
15.           Notices.  All communications hereunder shall be in writing and effective only upon receipt and (A) if to the Underwriters, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered, mailed or sent to the Representatives in care of (i) Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc., 520 Madison, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10022, Attention: Equity Syndicate Desk (facsimile no. (631) 794-2330), with a copy to the Legal Department and (ii)  Lazard Capital Markets LLC, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10020, Attention: General Counsel, with a copy of Blank Rome LLP, 405 Lexington Avenue, New York, New York 10174, Attention: Brad L. Shiffman (facsimile no. (917) 332-3725); and (B) if to the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered, mailed or sent to the Fund, the Investment Adviser or the Administrator, as applicable, at the offices of the Fund at 2965 Woodside Road, Woodside, California, 94062, Attention: Michael T. Moe (facsimile no. (650) 289-9134), with a copy to Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, LLP, 1275 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004, Attention: Steven B. Boehm (facsimile no. (202) 637-3593).
 
[Signature page follows.]
 
 
25

 
 
 
Very truly yours,
   
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
   
   
     
 
Name:
 
 
Title:
 
   
 
NEXT ASSET MANAGEMENT, LLC
   
 
 
     
 
Name:
 
 
Title:
 
   
 
NEXT INNOVATION SERVICE COMPANY, LLC
   
 
____________________________________
   
 
Name:
 
 
Title:
 
 
Accepted as of the date hereof

Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

Acting on behalf of itself and
   the several Underwriters named in
   Schedule I hereto

By:    Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.

By:
   
Name:
 
Title:
 
 
Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement
 
 
 

 
 
SCHEDULE I

Underwriter
 
Number of
Firm Shares
To Be
Purchased
 
Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.
 
[●]
 
       
       
      2,000,000  

 
I

 
 
SCHEDULE II
 
Pricing Information
 
 
1.
Price per Share to the Public: $[●]
 
 
2.
Number of Shares Sold: [●]
 
 
3.
Proceeds to the Fund: $[●]
 
 
II

 
 
SCHEDULE III
 
Omitting Prospectuses
 
 
1. 
[●]
 
 
III

 
 
SCHEDULE IV
 
LOCK-UP AGREEMENTS
 
 
IV

 
 
EXHIBIT A
 
OPINION OF COUNSEL TO THE FUND, THE INVESTMENT ADVISER AND THE ADMINISTRATOR
 
[TO BE PROVIDED]
 
 
 

 
 
  
Exhibit j.

 
[FORM OF CUSTODY AGREEMENT]
 

 
dated as of [__________]
by and between
  
[_____________________]
(“Company”)
 
and
 
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
(“Custodian”)
 
 
 

 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
   
Page
1.
DEFINITIONS
1
2.
APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN
6
3.
DUTIES OF CUSTODIAN
7
4.
REPORTING
15
5.
DEPOSIT IN U.S. SECURITIES SYSTEMS
15
6.
RESERVED.
16
7.
CERTAIN GENERAL TERMS
16
8.
COMPENSATION OF CUSTODIAN
17
9.
RESPONSIBILITY OF CUSTODIAN
18
10.
SECURITY CODES
21
11.
TAX LAW
21
12.
EFFECTIVE PERIOD, TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT
21
13.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
22
14.
PARTIES IN INTEREST; NO THIRD PARTY BENEFIT
23
15.
NOTICES
23
16.
CHOICE OF LAW AND JURISDICTION
24
17.
ENTIRE AGREEMENT; COUNTERPARTS
24
18.
AMENDMENT; WAIVER
24
19.
SUCCESSOR AND ASSIGNS
24
20.
SEVERABILITY
25
21.
INSTRUMENT UNDER SEAL; HEADINGS
25
22.
REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS
25
23.
OTHER BUSINESS
25
24.
REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS
25
25.
MISCELLANEOUS
26
SCHEDULES
 
 
SCHEDULE A –  Trade Confirmation
 
 
SCHEDULE B –  Initial Authorized Persons
 
 
 
- i -

 
 
THIS CUSTODY AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is dated as of [________], 2010 and is by and between [_____________] (and any successor or permitted assign), a corporation organized under the laws of [__________], having its principal place of business at[_______________], and U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (or any successor or permitted assign acting as custodian hereunder, the “Custodian”), a national banking association having a place of business at One Federal Street, Boston, MA 02110.

RECITALS
 
WHEREAS, [________________] is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), as a closed-end management investment company, which has elected to do business as a business development company and is authorized to issue shares of common stock;
 
WHEREAS, the Company (as defined below) desires to retain U.S. Bank National Association to act as custodian for the Company;
 
WHEREAS, the Company desires that the Company’s Securities (as defined below) and cash be held and administered by the custodian pursuant to this Agreement; and
 
NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:
 
1.
DEFINITIONS
 
1.1          Defined Terms.  In addition to terms expressly defined elsewhere herein, the following words shall have the following meanings as used in this Agreement:
 
Account” or “Accounts” means the Cash Account, the Securities Account, any Subsidiary Cash Account and any Subsidiary Securities Account, collectively.
 
Agreement” means this Custody Agreement (as the same may be amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof).
 
Authorized Person” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.4.
 
Business Day” means a day on which the Custodian is open for business in the market or country in which a transaction is to take place.
 
Cash Account” means the trust account to be established at the Custodian to which the Custodian shall deposit and hold any cash Proceeds received by it from time to time from or with respect to the Securities or the sale of the common stock of the Company, as applicable, which deposit account shall be designated the “[__________] Cash Proceeds Account”.
 
Company” means [______________], its successors or permitted assigns.
 
 
1

 
 
Confidential Information” means any databases, computer programs, screen formats, screen designs, report formats, interactive design techniques, and other similar or related information that may be furnished to the Company by the Custodian from time to time pursuant to this Agreement.
 
Custodian” has the meaning set forth in the first paragraph of this Agreement.
 
Document Custodian” means the Custodian when acting in the role of a document custodian hereunder.
 
Eligible Investment” means any investment that at the time of its acquisition is one or more of the following:
 
(a)            United States government and agency obligations;
 
(b)            commercial paper having a rating assigned to such commercial paper by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services or Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. (or, if neither such organization shall rate such commercial paper at such time, by any nationally recognized rating organization in the United States of America) equal to one of the two highest ratings assigned by such organization, it being understood that as of the date hereof such ratings by Standard & Poor’s Rating Services are “A1+” and “A1” and such ratings by Moody’s Investor Service, Inc. are “P1” and “P2”;
 
(c)            interest bearing deposits in United States dollars in United States or Canadian banks with an unrestricted surplus of at least U.S. $250,000,000, maturing within one year; and
 
(d)            money market funds (including funds of the bank serving as Custodian or its affiliates) or United States government securities funds designed to maintain a fixed share price and high liquidity.
 
Eligible Securities Depository” has the meaning set forth in Section (b)(1) of Rule 17f-7 under the 1940 Act.
 
Federal Reserve Bank Book-Entry System” means a depository and securities transfer system operated by the Federal Reserve Bank of the United States on which are eligible to be held all United States Government direct obligation bills, notes and bonds.
 
Loan” means any U.S. dollar denominated commercial loan, or participation therein,  made by a bank or other financial institution that by its terms provides for payments of principal and/or interest, including discount obligations and payment- in-kind obligations, acquired by the Company from time to time.
 
Loan Checklist” means a list delivered to the Document Custodian in connection with delivery of a Loan to the Custodian that identifies the items contained in the related Loan File.
 
 
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Loan File” means, with respect to each Loan delivered to the Document Custodian, each of the Required Loan Documents identified on the related Loan Checklist.
 
Noteless Loan” means a Loan with respect to which (i) the related loan agreement does not require the obligor to execute and deliver an Underlying Note to evidence the indebtedness created under such Loan and (ii) no Underlying Notes are outstanding with respect to the portion of the Loan transferred to the Company.
 
Participation” means an interest in a Loan that is acquired indirectly by way of a participation from a selling institution.
 
Person” means any individual, corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust (including any beneficiary thereof) unincorporated organization, or any government or agency or political subdivision thereof.
 
Proceeds” means, collectively, (i) the net cash proceeds to the Company of the initial public offering by the Company and any subsequent offering by the Company of any class of securities issued by the Company, (ii) all cash distributions, earnings, dividends, fees and other cash payments paid on the Securities (or, as applicable, Subsidiary Securities) by or on behalf of the issuer or obligor thereof, or applicable paying agent, (iii) the net cash proceeds of the sale or other disposition of the Securities (or, as applicable, Subsidiary Securities) pursuant to the terms of this Agreement (and any Reinvestment Earnings from investment of the foregoing, as defined in Section 3.6(b) hereof) and (iv) the net cash proceeds to the Company of any borrowing or other financing by the Company.
 
Proper Instructions” means instructions (including Trade Confirmations) received by the Custodian in form acceptable to it, from the Company, or any Person duly authorized by the Company in any of the following forms acceptable to the  Custodian:
 
(a)           in writing signed by the Authorized Person (and delivered by hand, by mail, by overnight courier or by telecopier);
 
(b)           by electronic mail from an Authorized Person;
 
(c)           in tested communication;
 
(d)           in a communication utilizing access codes effected between electro mechanical or electronic devices; or
 
(e)           such other means as may be agreed upon from time to time by the Custodian and the party giving such instructions, including oral instructions.
 
 
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Required Loan Documents” means, for each Loan:
 
(a)           other than in the case of a Participation, an executed copy of the Assignment for such Loan, as identified on the Loan Checklist;

(b)           with the exception of Noteless Loans and Participations, the original executed Underlying Note endorsed by the issuer or the prior holder of record in blank or to the Company;

(c)           an executed copy of the Underlying Loan Agreement (which may be included in the Underlying Note if so indicated in the Loan Checklist), together with a copy of all amendments and modifications thereto, as identified on the Loan Checklist;

(d)           a copy of each related security agreement (if any) signed by the applicable Obligor(s), as identified on the Loan Checklist;

(e)           a copy of the Loan Checklist, and

(f)           a copy of each related guarantee (if any) then executed in connection with such Loan, as identified on the Loan Checklist.

Securities” means, collectively, the (i) investments, including Loans, acquired by the Company and delivered to the Custodian by the Company from time to time during the term of, and pursuant to the terms of, this Agreement and (ii) all dividends in kind (e.g., non-cash dividends) from the investments described in clause (i), all of which shall be in U.S. denomination.
 
Securities Account” means the segregated trust account to be established at the Custodian to which the Custodian shall deposit or credit and hold the Securities (other than Loans) received by it pursuant to this Agreement, which account shall be designated the “________________Securities Custody Account”.
 
Securities Custodian” means the Custodian when acting in the role of a securities custodian hereunder.
 
Securities Depository” means The Depository Trust Company and any other clearing agency registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission under Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), which acts as a system for the central handling of Securities where all Securities of any particular class or series of an issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of the Securities.
 
Securities System” means the Federal Reserve Book-Entry System, a clearing agency which acts as a Securities Depository, or another book entry system for the central handling of securities (including an Eligible Securities Depository).
 
Shares” means the shares of common stock issued by [__________], a [_____] corporation.
 
 
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Street Delivery Custom” means a custom of the United States securities market to deliver securities which are being sold to the buying broker for examination to determine that the securities are in proper form.
 
Street Name” means the form of registration in which the securities are held by a broker who is delivering the securities to another broker for the purposes of sale, it being an accepted custom in the United States securities industry that a security in Street Name is in proper form for delivery to a buyer and that a security may be re-registered by a buyer in the ordinary course.
 
Subsidiary Cash Account” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.13(b).

Subsidiary Securities” collectively, the (i) investments, including Loans, acquired by a Subsidiary and delivered to the Custodian  from time to time during the term of, and pursuant to the terms of, this Agreement and (ii) all dividends in kind (e.g., non-cash dividends) from the investments described in clause (i).

Subsidiary Securities Account” shall have the meaning set forth in Section 3.13(a).

Subsidiary” means, collectively, any wholly owned subsidiary of the Company.
 
Trade Confirmation” means a confirmation to the Custodian from the Company of the Company’s acquisition of a Loan, and setting forth applicable information with respect to such Loan, which confirmation may be in the form of Schedule A attached hereto and made a part hereof, subject to such changes or additions as may be agreed to by, or in such other form as may be agreed to by, the Custodian and the Company from time to time.
 
Underlying Loan Agreement” means, with respect to any Loan, the document or documents evidencing the commercial loan agreement or facility pursuant to which such Loan is made.

Underlying Loan Documents” means, with respect to any Loan, the related Underlying Loan Agreement together with any agreements and instruments (including any Underlying Note) executed or delivered in connection therewith.

Underlying Note” means the one or more promissory notes executed by an obligor evidence a Loan.
 
1.2          Construction.  In this Agreement unless the contrary intention appears:
 
 
(a)
any reference to this Agreement or another agreement or instrument refers to such agreement or instrument as the same may be amended, modified or otherwise rewritten from time to time;
 
 
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(b)
a reference to a statute, ordinance, code or other law includes regulations and other instruments under it and consolidations, amendments, re-enactments or replacements of any of them;
 
 
(c)
any term defined in the singular form may be used in, and shall include, the plural with the same meaning, and vice versa;
 
 
(d)
a reference to a Person includes a reference to the Person’s executors, Custodian, successors and permitted assigns;
 
 
(e)
an agreement, representation or warranty in favor of two or more Persons is for the benefit of them jointly and severally;
 
 
(f)
an agreement, representation or warranty on the part of two or more Persons binds them jointly and severally;
 
 
(g)
a reference to the term “including” means “including, without limitation,” and
 
 
(h)
a reference to any accounting term is to be interpreted in accordance with generally accepted principles and practices in the United States, consistently applied, unless otherwise instructed by the Company.
 
1.3          Headings.  Headings are inserted for convenience and do not affect the interpretation of this Agreement.
 
2.
APPOINTMENT OF CUSTODIAN
 
2.1          Appointment and Acceptance.  The Company hereby appoints the Custodian as custodian of all Securities and cash owned by the Company and the Subsidiaries (as applicable) at any time during the period of this Agreement, on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement (which shall include any addendum hereto which is hereby incorporated herein and made a part of this Agreement), and the Custodian hereby accepts such appointment and agrees to perform the services and duties set forth in this Agreement with respect to it subject to and in accordance with the provisions hereof.
 
2.2          Instructions.  The Company agrees that it shall from time to time provide, or cause to be provided, to the Custodian all necessary instructions and information, and shall respond promptly to all inquiries and requests of the Custodian, as may reasonably be necessary to enable the Custodian to perform its duties hereunder.
 
2.3          Company Responsible For Directions.  The Company is solely responsible for directing the Custodian with respect to deposits to, withdrawals from and transfers to or from the Account.  Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Custodian has no responsibility for compliance with any restrictions, covenants, limitations or obligations to which the Company may be subject or for which it may have obligations to third-parties in respect of the Account, and the Custodian shall have no liability for the application of any funds made at the direction of the Company.  The Company shall be solely responsible for properly instructing all applicable payors to make all appropriate payments to the Custodian for deposit to the Account, and for properly instructing the Custodian with respect to the allocation or application of all such deposits.
 
 
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3.
DUTIES OF CUSTODIAN
 
3.1          Segregation.  All Securities and non-cash property held by the Custodian, as applicable, for the account of the Company (other than Securities maintained in a Securities Depository or Securities System) shall be physically segregated from other Securities and non-cash property in the possession of the Custodian (including the Securities and non-cash property of the other series of the Company, if applicable) and shall be identified as subject to this Agreement.
 
3.2          Securities Custody Account.  The Custodian shall open and maintain in its trust department a segregated trust account in the name of the Company, subject only to order of the Custodian, in which the Custodian shall enter and carry, subject to Section 3.3 (b),  all Securities (other than Loans), cash and other assets of the Company which are delivered to it in accordance with this Agreement.  For avoidance of doubt, the Custodian shall not be required to credit or deposit Loans in the Securities Account but shall instead maintain a register (in book-entry form or in such other form as it shall deem necessary or desirable) of such Loans, containing such information as the Company and the Custodian may reasonably agree; provided that, with respect to such Loans, all Required Loan Documents shall be held in safekeeping by the Document Custodian, individually segregated from the securities and investments of any other person and marked so as to clearly identify them as the property of the Company in a manner consistent with Rule 17f-1 under the 1940 Act and as set forth in this Agreement.
 
3.3          Delivery of Securities to Custodian.
 
 
(a)
The Company shall deliver, or cause to be delivered, to the Custodian all of the Company’s Securities, cash and other investment assets, including (a) all payments of income, payments of principal and capital distributions received by the Company with respect to such Securities, cash or other assets owned by the Company at any time during the period of this Agreement, and (b) all cash received by the Company for the issuance, at any time during such period, of Shares or other securities or in connection with a borrowing by the Company.  With respect to Loans, the Required Loan Documents and other underlying loan documents shall be delivered to the Custodian in its role as, and at the address identified for, the Document Custodian.  With respect to assets other than Loans, such assets shall be delivered to the Custodian in its role as, and (where relevant) at the address identified for, the Securities Custodian.   Except to the extent otherwise expressly provided herein, delivery of Securities to the Custodian shall be in Street Name or other good delivery form.  The Custodian shall not be responsible for such Securities, cash or other assets until actually delivered to, and received by it.
 
 
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(b)
(i)            In connection with its acquisition of a Loan or other delivery of a Security constituting a Loan, the Company shall deliver or cause to be delivered to the Custodian (in its roles as, and at the address identified for, the Custodian and Document Custodian) a properly completed Trade Confirmation containing such information in respect of such Loan as the Custodian may reasonably require in order to enable the Custodian to perform its duties hereunder in respect of such Loan on which the Custodian may conclusively rely without further inquiry or investigation, in such form and format as the Custodian reasonably may require, and shall deliver to the Document Custodian (in its role as, and at the address identified for, the Document Custodian) the Required Loan Documents for all Loans, including the Loan Checklist.
 
(ii)           Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, delivery of Loans acquired by the Company (or, if applicable, Subsidiary thereof) which constitute Noteless Loans or Participations or which are otherwise not evidenced by a “security” or “instrument” as defined in Section 8-102 and Section 9-102(a)(47) of the UCC, respectively, shall be made by delivery to the Document Custodian of (i) in the case of a Noteless Loan, a copy of the loan register with respect to such Noteless Loan evidencing registration of such Loan on the books and records of the applicable obligor or bank agent to the name of the Company or, if applicable, a Subsidiary (or, in either case, its nominee) or a copy (which may be a facsimile copy) of an assignment agreement  in favor of the Company (or the applicable Subsidiary) as assignee, and (ii) in the case of a Participation, a copy of the related participation agreement.  Any duty on the part of the Custodian with respect to the custody of such Loans shall be limited to the exercise of reasonable care by the Custodian in the physical custody of any such documents delivered to it, and any related instrument, security, credit agreement, assignment agreement and/or other agreements or documents, if any (collectively, “Financing Documents”), that may be delivered to it.  Nothing herein shall require the Custodian to credit to the Securities Account or to treat as a financial asset (within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(9) of the UCC) any such Loan or other asset in the nature of a general intangible (as defined in Section 9-102(a)(42) of the UCC) or to “maintain” a sufficient quantity thereof.
 
(iii)          The Custodian may assume the genuineness of any such Financing Document it may receive and the genuineness and due authority of any signatures appearing thereon, and shall be entitled to assume that each such Financing Document it may receive is what it purports to be. If an original “security” or “instrument” as defined in Section 8-102 and Section 9-102(a)(47) of the UCC, respectively, is or shall be or become available with respect to any Loan to be held by the Custodian under this Agreement, it shall be the sole responsibility of the Company to make or cause delivery thereof to the Document Custodian, and the Custodian shall not be under any obligation at any time to determine whether any such original security or instrument has been or is required to be issued or made available in respect of any Loan or to compel or cause delivery thereof to the Custodian.
 
 
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(iv)          Contemporaneously with the acquisition of any Loan, the Company shall (i) cause the Required Loan Documents evidencing such Loan to be delivered to the Document Custodian; (ii) if requested by the Custodian, provide to the Custodian an amortization schedule of principal payments and a schedule of the interest payable date(s) identifying the amount and due dates of all scheduled principal and interest payments for such Loan and (iii) a properly completed Trade Confirmation containing such information in respect of such Loan as the Custodian may reasonably require in order to enable the Custodian to perform its duties hereunder in respect of such Loan on which the Custodian may conclusively rely without further inquiry or investigation, in such form and format as the Custodian reasonably may require; (iv) take all actions necessary for the Company to acquire good title to such Loan; and (v) take all actions as may be necessary (including appropriate payment notices and instructions to bank agents or other applicable paying agents) to cause (A) all payments in respect of the Loan to be made to the Custodian and (B) all notices, solicitations and other communications in respect of such Loan to be directed to the Company.  The Custodian shall have no liability for any delay or failure on the part of the Company to provide necessary information to the Custodian, or for any inaccuracy therein or incompleteness thereof, or for any delay or failure on the part of the Company to give such effective payment instruction to bank agents and other paying agents, in respect of the Loans.  With respect to each such Loan, the Custodian shall be entitled to rely on any information and notices it may receive from time to time from the related bank agent, obligor or similar party with respect to the related Loan Asset, and shall be entitled to update its records (as it may deem necessary or appropriate), or from the Company, on the basis of such information or notices received, without any obligation on its part independently to verify, investigate or recalculate such information.
 
 
3.4 
Release of Securities.
 
 
(a)
The Custodian shall release and deliver, or direct its agents or sub-custodian to release and deliver, as the case may be, Securities or Required Loan Documents of the Company held by the Custodian, its agents or its sub-custodian from time to time upon receipt of Proper Instructions (which shall, among other things, specify the Securities or Required Loan Documents to be released, with such delivery and other information as may be necessary to enable the Custodian to perform), which may be standing instructions (in form acceptable to the Custodian) in the following cases:
 
 
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(i)
upon sale of such Securities by or on behalf of the Company and, unless otherwise directed by Proper Instructions:
 
 
(A)
in accordance with the customary or established practices and procedures in the jurisdiction or market where the transactions occur, including delivery to the purchaser thereof or to a dealer therefor (or an agent of such purchaser or dealer) against expectation of receiving later payment; or
 
 
(B)
in the case of a sale effected through a Securities System, in accordance with the rules governing the operations of the securities System;
 
 
(ii)
upon the receipt of payment in connection with any repurchase agreement related to such securities;
 
 
(iii)
to a depositary agent in connection with tender or other similar offers for securities;
 
 
(iv)
to the issuer thereof or its agent when such securities are called, redeemed, retired or otherwise become payable (unless otherwise directed by Proper Instructions, the cash or other consideration is to be delivered to the Custodian, its agents or its sub-custodian);
 
 
(v)
to an issuer thereof, or its agent, for transfer into the name of the Custodian or of any nominee of the Custodian or into the name of any of its agents or sub-custodian or their nominees or for exchange for a different number of bonds, certificates or other evidence representing the same aggregate face amount or number of units;
 
 
(vi)
to brokers clearing banks or other clearing agents for examination in accordance with the Street Delivery Custom;
 
 
(vii)
 for exchange or conversion pursuant to any plan of merger, consolidation, recapitalization, reorganization or readjustment of the securities of the issuer of such securities, or pursuant to any deposit agreement (unless otherwise directed by Proper Instructions, the new securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian, its agents or its sub-custodian);
 
 
(viii)
 in the case of warrants, rights or similar securities, the surrender thereof in the exercise of such warrants, rights or similar securities or the surrender of interim receipts or temporary securities for definitive securities (unless otherwise directed by Proper Instructions, the new securities and cash, if any, are to be delivered to the Custodian, its agents or its sub-custodian); and/or
 
 
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(ix)
for any other purpose, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions and an officer’s certificate signed by an officer of the Company (which officer shall not have been the Authorized Person providing the Proper Instructions) stating (i) the specified securities to be delivered, (ii) the purpose for such delivery, (iii) that such purpose is a proper corporate purpose and (iv) naming the person or persons to whom delivery of such securities shall be made and attaching a certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors of [___________] or an authorized committee thereof approving the delivery of such Proper Instructions.
 
3.5       Registration of Securities.  Securities held by the Custodian, its agents or its sub-custodian (other than bearer securities, securities held in a Securities System or Securities that are Noteless Loans or Participations) shall be registered in the name of the Company or its nominee; or, at the option of the Custodian, in the name of the Custodian or in the name of any nominee of the Custodian, or in the name of its agents or its sub-custodian or their nominees; or if directed by the Company by Proper Instruction, may be maintained in Street Name. The Custodian, its agents and its sub-custodian shall not be obligated to accept Securities on behalf of the Company under the terms of this Agreement unless such Securities are in Street Name or other good deliverable form.
 
3.6       Bank Accounts, and Management of Cash
 
 
(a)
Proceeds from the Securities received by the Custodian from time to time shall be credited to the Cash Account.  All amounts credited to the Cash Account shall be subject to clearance and receipt of final payment by the Custodian.
 
 
(b)
Amounts held in the Cash Account from time to time may be invested in Eligible Investments pursuant to specific written Proper Instructions (which may be standing instructions) received by the Custodian from an Authorized Person acting on behalf of the Company.  Such investments shall be subject to availability and the Custodian’s then applicable transaction charges (which shall be at the Company’s expense).  The Custodian shall have no liability for any loss incurred on any such investment.  Absent receipt of such written instruction from the Company, the Custodian shall have no obligation to invest (or otherwise pay interest on) amounts on deposit in the Cash Account.  In no instance will the Custodian have any obligation to provide investment advice to the Company.  Any earnings from such investment of amounts held in the Cash Account from time to time (collectively, “Reinvestment Earnings”) shall be redeposited in the Cash Account (and may be reinvested at the written direction of the Company).
 
 
(c)
In the event that the Company shall at any time request a withdrawal of amounts from the Cash Account, the Custodian shall be entitled to liquidate, and shall have no liability for any loss incurred as a result of the liquidation of, any investment of the funds credited to such account as needed to provide necessary liquidity. Investment instructions may be in the form of standing instructions (in the form of Proper Instructions acceptable to Custodian).
 
 
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(d)
The Company acknowledges that cash deposited or invested with any bank (including the bank acting as Custodian) may make a margin or generate banking income for which such bank shall not be required to account to the Company.
 
3.7          [Reserved]
 
3.8          Collection of Income.  The Custodian, its agents or its sub-custodian shall use reasonable efforts to collect on a timely basis all income and other payments with respect to the Securities held hereunder to which the Company shall be entitled, to the extent consistent with usual custom in the securities custodian business in the United States.  Such efforts shall include collection of interest income, dividends and other payments with respect to registered domestic securities if on the record date with respect to the date of payment by the issuer the Security is registered in the name of the Custodian or its nominee (or in the name of its agent or sub-custodian, or their nominee); and interest income, dividends and other payments with respect to bearer domestic securities if, on the date of payment by the issuer such securities are held by the Custodian or its sub-custodian or agent; provided, however, that in the case of Securities held in Street Name, the Custodian shall use commercially reasonable efforts only to timely collect income. In no event shall the Custodian’s agreement herein to collect income be construed to obligate the Custodian to commence, undertake or prosecute any legal proceedings.
 
3.9          Payment of Moneys.
 
 
(a)
Upon receipt of Proper Instructions, which may be standing instructions, the Custodian shall pay out from the Cash Account (or remit to its agents or its sub-custodian, and direct them to pay out) moneys of the Company on deposit therein in the following cases:
 
 
(i)
upon the purchase of Securities for the Company pursuant to such Proper Instruction; and such purchase may, unless and except to the extent otherwise directed by Proper Instructions, be carried out by the Custodian:
 
 
(A)
in accordance with the customary or established practices and procedures in the jurisdiction or market where the transactions occur, including delivering money to the seller thereof or to a dealer therefor (or any agent for such seller or dealer) against expectation of receiving later delivery of such securities; or
 
 
(B)
in the case of a purchase effected through a Securities System, in accordance with the rules governing the operation of such Securities System;
 
 
(ii)
[reserved]; and
 
 
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(iii)
for any other purpose directed by the Company, but only upon receipt of Proper Instructions specifying the amount of such payment, and naming the Person or Persons to whom such payment is to be made.
 
 
(b)
At any time or times, the Custodian shall be entitled to pay (i) itself from the Cash Account, whether or not in receipt of express direction or instruction from the Company, any amounts due and payable to it pursuant to Section 8 hereof, and (ii) as otherwise permitted by Section 7.5, 9.4 or Section 12.5 below, provided, however, that in each case all such payments shall be accounted for to the Company.
 
3.10        Proxies. The Custodian will, with respect to the Securities held hereunder, use reasonable efforts to cause to be promptly executed by the registered holder of such Securities proxies received by the Custodian from its agents or its sub-custodian or from issuers of the Securities being held for the Company, without indication of the manner in which such proxies are to be voted, and upon receipt of Proper Instructions shall promptly deliver such proxies, proxy soliciting materials and notices relating to such Securities. In the absence of such Proper Instructions, or in the event that such Proper Instructions are not received in a timely fashion, the Custodian shall be under no duty to act with regard to such proxies.
 
3.11        Communications Relating to Securities.  The Custodian shall transmit promptly to the Company all written information (including pendency of calls and maturities of Securities and expirations of rights in connection therewith) received by the Custodian, from its agents or its sub-custodian or from issuers of the Securities being held for the Company.  The Custodian shall have no obligation or duty to exercise any right or power, or otherwise to preserve rights, in or under any Securities unless and except to the extent it has received timely Proper Instruction from the Company in accordance with the next sentence.  The Custodian will not be liable for any untimely exercise of any right or power in connection with Securities at any time held by the Custodian, its agents or sub-custodian unless:
 
 
(i)
the Custodian has received Proper Instructions with regard to the exercise of any such right or power; and
 
 
(ii)
the Custodian, or its agents or sub-custodian are in actual possession of such Securities,
 
in each case, at least three (3) Business Days prior to the date on which such right or power is to be exercised. It will be the responsibility of the Company to notify the Custodian of the Person to whom such communications must be forwarded under this Section.
 
 
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3.12        Records.  The Custodian shall create and maintain complete and accurate records relating to its activities under this Agreement with respect to the Securities, cash or other property held for the Company under this Agreement, with particular attention to Section 31 of the 1940 Act, and Rules 31a-1 and 32a-2 thereunder. To the extent that the Custodian, in its sole opinion, is able to do so, the Custodian shall provide assistance to the Company (at the Company’s reasonable request made from time to time) by providing sub-certifications regarding certain of its services performed hereunder to the Company in connection with the Company’s certification requirements pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended.  All such records shall be the property of the Company and shall at all times during the regular business hours of the Custodian be open for inspection by duly authorized officers, employees or agents of the Company and employees and agents of the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon reasonable request and prior notice and at the Company’s expense. The Custodian shall, at the Company’s request, supply the Company with a tabulation of securities owned by the Company and held by the Custodian and shall, when requested to do so by the Company and for such compensation as shall be agreed upon between the Company and the Custodian, include, to the extent applicable, the certificate numbers in such tabulations, to the extent such information is available to the Custodian.
 
3.13        Custody of Subsidiary Securities.
 
 
(a)
With respect to each Subsidiary identified to the Custodian by the Company, there shall be established at the Custodian a segregated trust account to which the Custodian shall deposit and hold any Subsidiary Securities (other than Loans) received by it (and any Proceeds received by it in the form of dividends in kind) pursuant to this Agreement, which account shall be designated the “[INSERT NAME OF SUBSIDIARY] Securities Account” (the “Subsidiary Securities Account”).
 
 
(b)
With respect to each Subsidiary identified to the Custodian by the Company, there shall be established at the Custodian a segregated trust account to which the Custodian shall deposit and hold any cash Proceeds received by it from time to time from or with respect to Subsidiary Securities, which account shall be designated the  “[INSERT NAME OF SUBSIDIARY] Cash Proceeds Account” (the “Subsidiary Cash Account”)
 
 
(c)
To the maximum extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement regarding Securities of the Company, the Securities Account and the Cash Account shall be applicable to any Subsidiary Securities, Subsidiary Securities Account and Subsidiary Cash Account, respectively.  The parties hereto agree that the Company shall notify the Custodian in writing as to the establishment of any Subsidiary as to which the Custodian is to serve as custodian pursuant to the terms of this Agreement; and identify in writing any accounts the Custodian shall be required to establish for such Subsidiary as herein provided.
 
 
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4.
REPORTING
 
 
(a)
If requested by the Company, the Custodian shall render to the Company a monthly report of (i) all deposits to and withdrawals from the Cash Account during the month, and the outstanding balance (as of the last day of the preceding monthly report and as of the last day of the subject month) and (ii) an itemized statement of the Securities held pursuant to this Agreement as of the end of each month, as well as a list of all Securities transactions that remain unsettled at that time, and (iii) such other matters as the parties may agree from time to time.
 
 
(b)
For each Business Day, the Custodian shall render to the Company a daily report of (i) all deposits to and withdrawals from the Cash Account for such Business Day and the outstanding balance as of the end of such Business Day, and (ii) a report of settled trades of Securities for such Business Day.
 
 
(c)
The Custodian shall have no duty or obligation to undertake any market valuation of the Securities under any circumstance.
 
 
(d)
The Custodian shall provide the Company with such reports as are reasonably available to it and as the Company may reasonably request from time to time, on the internal accounting controls and procedures for safeguarding securities, which are employed by the Custodian.
 
5.
DEPOSIT IN U.S. SECURITIES SYSTEMS
 
The Custodian may deposit and/or maintain Securities in a Securities System within the United States in accordance with applicable Federal Reserve Board and Securities and Exchange Commission rules and regulations, including Rule 17f-4 under the 1940 Act, and subject to the following provisions:
 
 
(a)
The Custodian may keep domestic Securities in a U.S. Securities System provided that such Securities are represented in an account of the Custodian in the U.S. Securities System which shall not include any assets of the Custodian other than assets held by it as a fiduciary, custodian or otherwise for customers;
 
 
(b)
The records of the Custodian with respect to Securities which are maintained in a U.S. Securities System shall identify by book-entry those Securities belonging to the Company;
 
 
(c)
If requested by the Company, the Custodian shall provide to the Company copies of all notices received from the U.S. Securities System of transfers of Securities for the account of the Company; and
 
 
(d)
Anything to the contrary in this Agreement notwithstanding, the Custodian shall not be liable to the Company for any direct loss, damage, cost, expense, liability or claim to the Company resulting from use of any Securities System (other than to the extent resulting from the gross negligence, misfeasance or misconduct of the Custodian itself, or from failure of the Custodian to enforce effectively such rights as it may have against the U.S. Securities System.)
 
 
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6.
RESERVED.
 
7.
CERTAIN GENERAL TERMS
 
7.1          No Duty to Examine Underlying Instruments.  Nothing herein shall obligate the Custodian to review or examine the terms of any underlying instrument, certificate, credit agreement, indenture, loan agreement, promissory note, or other financing document evidencing or governing any Security to determine the validity, sufficiency, marketability or enforceability of any Security (and shall have no responsibility for the genuineness or completeness thereof), or otherwise.
 
7.2          Resolution of Discrepancies.  In the event of any discrepancy between the information set forth in any report provided by the Custodian to the Company and any information contained in the books or records of the Company, the Company shall promptly notify the Custodian thereof and the parties shall cooperate to diligently resolve the discrepancy.
 
7.3          Improper Instructions.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Custodian shall not be obligated to take any action (or forebear from taking any action), which it reasonably determines (at its sole option) to be contrary to the terms of this Agreement or applicable law.  In no instance shall the Custodian be obligated to provide services on any day that is not a Business Day.
 
7.4          Proper Instructions
 
 
(a)
The Company will give a notice to the Custodian, in form acceptable to the Custodian, specifying the names and specimen signatures of persons authorized to give Proper Instructions (collectively, “Authorized Persons” and each is an “Authorized Person”) which notice shall be signed by an Authorized Person previously certified to the Custodian.  The Custodian shall be entitled to rely upon the identity and authority of such persons until it receives written notice from an Authorized Person of the Company to the contrary.  The initial Authorized Persons are set forth on Schedule B attached hereto and made a part hereof (as such Schedule B may be modified from time to time by written notice from the Company to the Custodian); and the Company hereby represents and warrants that the true and accurate specimen signatures of such initial Authorized Persons are set forth on the “funds transfer authorization” documentation that has been provided separately to the Custodian by the Company.
 
 
(b)
The Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability to the Company (or any other person or entity), and shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Company, in the event that a subsequent written confirmation of an oral instruction fails to conform to the oral instructions received by the Custodian.  The Custodian shall not have an obligation to act in accordance with purported instructions to the extent that they conflict with applicable law or regulations, local market practice or the Custodian’s operating policies and practices. The Custodian shall not be liable for any loss resulting from a delay while it obtains clarification of any Proper Instructions.
 
 
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7.5          Actions Permitted Without Express Authority.  The Custodian may, at its discretion, without express authority from the Company:
 
 
(a)
make payments to itself as described in or pursuant to Section 3.9(b), or to make payments to itself or others for minor expenses of handling securities or other similar items relating to its duties under this agreement, provided that all such payments shall be accounted for to the Company;
 
 
(b)
surrender Securities in temporary form for Securities in definitive form;
 
 
(c)
endorse for collection cheques, drafts and other negotiable instruments; and
 
 
(d)
in general attend to all nondiscretionary details in connection with the sale, exchange, substitution, purchase, transfer and other dealings with the securities and property of the Company.
 
7.6          Evidence of Authority.  The Custodian shall be protected in acting upon any instructions, notice, request, consent, certificate instrument or paper reasonably believed by it to be genuine and to have been properly executed or otherwise given by or on behalf of the Company by an Authorized Officer.  The Custodian may receive and accept a certificate signed by any Authorized Officer as conclusive evidence of:
 
 
(a)
the authority of any person to act in accordance with such certificate; or
 
 
(b)
any determination or of any action by the Company as described in such certificate,
 
and such certificate may be considered as in full force and effect until receipt by the Custodian of written notice to the contrary from an Authorized Officer of the Company.
 
7.7          Receipt of Communications.  Any communication received by the Custodian on a day which is not a Business Day or after 3:30 p.m., Eastern time (or such other time as is agreed by the Company and the Custodian from time to time), on a Business Day will be deemed to have been received on the next Business Day (but in the case of communications so received after 3:30 p.m., Eastern time, on a Business Day the Custodian will use its best efforts to process such communications as soon as possible after receipt).
 
8.
COMPENSATION OF CUSTODIAN
 
8.1          Fees.  The Custodian shall be entitled to compensation for its services in accordance with the terms of that certain fee letter dated [____________], between the Company and the Custodian.
 
 
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8.2          Expenses.  The Company agrees to pay or reimburse to the Custodian upon its request from time to time all costs, disbursements, advances, and expenses (including reasonable fees and expenses of legal counsel) incurred, and any disbursements and advances made (including any account overdraft resulting from any settlement or assumed settlement, provisional credit, chargeback, returned deposit item, reclaimed payment or claw-back, or the like), in connection with the preparation or execution of this Agreement, or in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby or the administration of this Agreement or performance by the Custodian of its duties and services under this Agreement, from time to time (including costs and expenses of any action deemed necessary by the Custodian to collect any amounts owing to it under this Agreement).
 
9.
RESPONSIBILITY OF CUSTODIAN
 
9.1          General Duties.  The Custodian shall have no duties, obligations or responsibilities under this Agreement or with respect to the Securities or Proceeds except for such duties as are expressly and specifically set forth in this Agreement, and the duties and obligations of the Custodian shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Agreement.  No implied duties, obligations or responsibilities shall be read into this Agreement against, or on the part of, the Custodian.
 
9.2          Instructions
 
 
(a)
The Custodian shall be entitled to refrain from taking any action unless it has such instruction (in the form of Proper Instructions) from the Company as it reasonably deems necessary, and shall be entitled to require, upon notice to the Company, that Proper Instructions to it be in writing.  The Custodian shall have no liability for any action (or forbearance from action) taken pursuant to the Proper Instruction of the Company.
 
 
(b)
Whenever the Custodian is entitled or required to receive or obtain any communications or information pursuant to or as contemplated by this Agreement, it shall be entitled to receive the same in writing, in form, content and medium reasonably acceptable to it and otherwise in accordance with any applicable terms of this Agreement; and whenever any report or other information is required to be produced or distributed by the Custodian it shall be in form, content and medium reasonably acceptable to it and the Company, and otherwise in accordance with any applicable terms of this Agreement.
 
9.3          General Standards of Care.  Notwithstanding any terms herein contained to the contrary, the acceptance by the Custodian of its appointment hereunder is expressly subject to the following terms, which shall govern and apply to each of the terms and provisions of this Agreement (whether or not so stated therein):
 
 
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(a)
The Custodian may rely on and shall be protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any written notice, instruction, statement, certificate, request, waiver, consent, opinion, report, receipt or other paper or document furnished to it (including any of the foregoing provided to it by telecopier or electronic means), not only as to its due execution and validity, but also as to the truth and accuracy of any information therein contained, which it in good faith believes to be genuine and signed or presented by the proper person (which in the case of any instruction from or on behalf of the Company shall be an Authorized Person); and the Custodian shall be entitled to presume the genuineness and due authority of any signature appearing thereon.  The Custodian shall not be bound to make any independent investigation into the facts or matters stated in any such notice, instruction, statement, certificate, request, waiver, consent, opinion, report, receipt or other paper or document, provided, however, that if the form thereof is specifically prescribed by the terms of this Agreement, the Custodian shall examine the same to determine whether it substantially conforms on its face to such requirements hereof.
 
 
(b)
Neither the Custodian nor any of its directors, officers or employees shall be liable to anyone for any error of judgment, or for any act done or step taken or omitted to be taken by it (or any of its directors, officers of employees), or for any mistake of fact or law, or for anything which it may do or refrain from doing in connection herewith, unless such action constitutes gross negligence, willful misconduct or bad faith on its part and in breach of the terms of this Agreement.  The Custodian shall not be liable for any action taken by it in good faith and reasonably believed by it to be within powers conferred upon it, or taken by it pursuant to any direction or instruction by which it is governed hereunder, or omitted to be taken by it by reason of the lack of direction or instruction required hereby for such action.  The Custodian shall not be under any obligation at any time to ascertain whether the Company is in compliance with the 1940 Act, the regulations thereunder, or the Company’s investment objectives and policies then in effect.
 
 
(c)
In no event shall the Custodian be liable for any indirect, special or consequential damages (including lost profits) whether or not it has been advised of the likelihood of such damages.
 
 
(d)
The Custodian may consult with, and obtain advice from, legal counsel selected in good faith with respect to any question as to any of the provisions hereof or its duties hereunder, or any matter relating hereto, and the written opinion or advice of such counsel shall be full and complete authorization and protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by the Custodian in good faith in accordance with the opinion and directions of such counsel; the reasonable cost of such services shall be reimbursed pursuant to Section 8.2 above.
 
 
(e)
The Custodian shall not be deemed to have notice of any fact, claim or demand with respect hereto unless actually known by an officer working in its Corporate Trust Services group and charged with responsibility for administering this Agreement or unless (and then only to the extent received) in writing by the Custodian at the applicable address(es) as set forth in Section 15 and specifically referencing this Agreement.
 
 
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(f)
No provision of this Agreement shall require the Custodian to expend or risk its own funds, or to take any action (or forbear from action) hereunder which might in its judgment involve any expense or any financial or other liability unless it shall be furnished with acceptable indemnification.  Nothing herein shall obligate the Custodian to commence, prosecute or defend legal proceedings in any instance, whether on behalf of the Company or on its own behalf or otherwise, with respect to any matter arising hereunder, or relating to this Agreement or the services contemplated hereby.
 
 
(g)
The permissive right of the Custodian to take any action hereunder shall not be construed as duty.
 
 
(h)
The Custodian may act or exercise its duties or powers hereunder through agents or attorneys, and the Custodian shall not be liable or responsible for the actions or omissions of any such agent or attorney appointed and maintained with reasonable due care.
 
 
(i)
All indemnifications contained in this Agreement in favor of the Custodian shall survive the termination of this Agreement.
 
9.4          Indemnification; Custodian’s Lien.
 
 
(a)
The Company shall and does hereby indemnify and hold harmless each of the Custodian for and from any and all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees and expenses), and any and all losses, damages, claims and liabilities, that may arise, be brought against or incurred by the Custodian, and any advances or disbursements made by the Custodian (including in respect of any Account overdraft, returned deposit item, chargeback, provisional credit, settlement or assumed settlement, reclaimed payment, claw-back or the like), as a result of, relating to, or arising out of this Agreement, or the administration or performance of the Custodian’s duties hereunder, or the relationship between the Company (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any Subsidiary) and the Custodian created hereby, other than such liabilities, losses, damages, claims, costs and expenses as are directly caused by the Custodian’s own actions constituting gross negligence or willful misconduct.
 
 
(b)
The Custodian shall have and is hereby granted a continuing lien upon and security interest in, and right of set-off against, the Account, and any funds (and investments in which such funds may be invested) held therein or credited thereto from time to time, whether now held or hereafter required, and all proceeds thereof, to secure the payment of any amounts that may be owing to the Custodian under or pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, whether now existing or hereafter arising.
 
 
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9.5          Force Majeure.  Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, the Custodian shall be without liability to the Company for any damage or loss resulting from or caused by events or circumstances beyond the Custodian’s reasonable control including nationalization, expropriation, currency restrictions, the interruption, disruption or suspension of the normal procedures and practices of any securities market, power, mechanical, communications or other technological failures or interruptions, computer viruses or the like, fires, floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters, civil and military disturbance, acts of war or terrorism, riots, revolution, acts of God, work stoppages, strikes, national disasters of any kind, or other similar events or acts; errors by the Company (including any Authorized Person) in its instructions to the Custodian; or changes in applicable law, regulation or orders.
 
10.
SECURITY CODES
 
If the Custodian issues to the Company, security codes, passwords or test keys in order that it may verify that certain transmissions of information, including Proper Instructions, have been originated by the Company, the Company shall safeguard any security codes, passwords, test keys or other security devices which the Custodian shall make available.
 
11.
TAX LAW
 
11.1        Domestic Tax Law.  The Custodian shall have no responsibility or liability for any obligations now or hereafter imposed on the Company or the Custodian as custodian of the Securities or the Proceeds, by the tax law of the United States or any state or political subdivision thereof.  The Custodian shall be kept indemnified by and be without liability to the Company for such obligations including taxes, (but excluding any income taxes assessable in respect of compensation paid to the Custodian pursuant to this agreement) withholding, certification and reporting requirements, claims for exemption or refund, additions for late payment interest, penalties and other expenses (including legal expenses) that may be assessed against the Company, or the Custodian as custodian of the Securities or Proceeds.
 
11.2        [Reserved].
 
12.
EFFECTIVE PERIOD, TERMINATION AND AMENDMENT
 
12.1        Effective Date.  This Agreement shall become effective as of its due execution and delivery by each of the parties.  This Agreement shall continue in full force and effect until terminated as hereinafter provided.  This Agreement may only be amended by mutual written agreement of the parties hereto.  This Agreement may be terminated by the Custodian or the Company pursuant to Section 12.2.
 
12.2        Termination.  This Agreement shall terminate upon the earliest of (a) occurrence of the effective date of termination specified in any written notice of termination given by either party to the other not later than ninety (90) days prior to the effective date of termination specified therein, (b) such other date of termination as may be mutually agreed upon by the parties in writing.
 
 
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12.3        Resignation.  The Custodian may at any time resign under this Agreement by giving not less than ninety (90) days advance written notice thereof to the Company.
 
12.4        Successor.  Prior to the effective date of termination of this Agreement, or the effective date of the resignation of the Custodian, as the case may be, the Company shall give Proper Instruction to the Custodian designating a successor Custodian, if applicable.
 
12.5        Payment of Fees, etc.  Upon termination of this Agreement or resignation of the Custodian, the Company shall pay to the Custodian such compensation, and shall likewise reimburse the Custodian for its costs, expenses and disbursements, as may be due as of the date of such termination or resignation (or removal, as the case may be).  All indemnifications in favor of the Custodian under this Agreement shall survive the termination of this Agreement, or any resignation or removal of the Custodian.
 
12.6        Final Report.  In the event of any resignation or removal of the Custodian, the Custodian shall provide to the Company a complete final report or data file transfer of any Confidential Information as of the date of such resignation or removal.
 
13.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
 
13.1        Representations of the Company.  The Company represents and warrants to the Custodian that:
 
 
(a)
it has the power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement, and it has duly authorized and executed this Agreement so as to constitute its valid and binding obligation; and
 
 
(b)
in giving any instructions which purport to be “Proper Instructions” under this Agreement, the Company will act in accordance with the provisions of its certificate of incorporation and bylaws and any applicable laws and regulations.
 
13.2        Representations of the Custodian.  The Custodian hereby represents and warrants to the Company that:
 
 
(a)
it is qualified to act as a custodian pursuant to Section 26(a)(1) of the 1940 Act;
 
 
(b)
it has the power and authority to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement;
 
 
(c)
it has duly authorized and executed this Agreement so as to constitute its valid and binding obligations; and
 
 
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(d)
that it maintains business continuity policies and standards that include data file backup and recovery procedures that comply with all applicable regulatory requirements.
 
14.
PARTIES IN INTEREST; NO THIRD PARTY BENEFIT
 
This Agreement is not intended for, and shall not be construed to be intended for, the benefit of any third parties and may not be relied upon or enforced by any third parties (other than successors and permitted assigns pursuant to Section 19).
 
15.
NOTICES
 
Any Proper Instructions shall be given to the following address (or such other address as either party may designate by written notice to the other party), and otherwise any notices, approvals and other communications hereunder shall be sufficient if made in writing and given to the parties at the following address (or such other address as either of them may subsequently designate by notice to the other), given by (i) certified or registered mail, postage prepaid, (ii) recognized courier or delivery service, or (iii) confirmed telecopier or telex, with a duplicate sent on the same day by first class mail, postage prepaid:
 
 
(a)
if to the Company, to
 
[_________________]
Fax: [___________]

 
(b)
if to the Custodian (other than in its role as Document Custodian), to
 
U.S. Bank National Association
Corporate Trust Services
One Federal Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA  02110
Ref: [____________]
Attention:  [__________]
Fax:  [___________]

 
(c)
if to the Custodian solely in its role as Document Custodian, to
 
U.S. Bank National Association
1719 Range Way
Florence, South Carolina 29501
Mail Code: Ex - SC - FLOR
Ref: [______________]
Attn: ____________
E-mail:  ____________
Facsimile No.:   ___________
 
 
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16.
CHOICE OF LAW AND JURISDICTION
 
This Agreement shall be construed, and the provisions thereof interpreted under and in accordance with and governed by the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts for all purposes (without regard to its choice of law provisions); except to the extent such laws are inconsistent with federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act.
 
17.
ENTIRE AGREEMENT; COUNTERPARTS
 
17.1        Complete Agreement.  This Agreement constitutes the complete and exclusive agreement of the parties with regard to the matters addressed herein and supersedes and terminates as of the date hereof, all prior agreements, agreements or understandings, oral or written between the parties to this Agreement relating to such matters.
 
17.2        Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and all counterparts taken together shall constitute one and the same instrument.
 
17.3        Facsimile Signatures.  The exchange of copies of this Agreement and of signature pages by facsimile transmission shall constitute effective execution and delivery of this Agreement as to the parties and may be used in lieu of the original Agreement for all purposes.  Signatures of the parties transmitted by facsimile shall be deemed to be their original signatures for all purposes.
 
18.
AMENDMENT; WAIVER
 
18.1        Amendment.  This Agreement may not be amended except by an express written instrument duly executed by each of the Company and the Custodian.
 
18.2        Waiver.  In no instance shall any delay or failure to act be deemed to be or effective as a waiver of any right, power or term hereunder, unless and except to the extent such waiver is set forth in an expressly written instrument signed by the party against whom it is to be charged.
 
19.
SUCCESSOR AND ASSIGNS
 
19.1        Successors Bound.  The covenants and agreements set forth herein shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of each of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns.  Neither party shall be permitted to assign their rights under this Agreement without the written consent of the other party; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not limit the ability of the Custodian to delegate certain duties or services to or perform them through agents or attorneys appointed with due care as expressly provided in this Agreement.
 
19.2        Merger and Consolidation.  Any corporation or association into which the Custodian may be merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any corporation or association resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Custodian shall be a party, or any corporation or association to which the Custodian transfers all or substantially all of its corporate trust business, shall be the successor of the Custodian hereunder, and shall succeed to all of the rights, powers and duties of the Custodian hereunder, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto.
 
 
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20.
SEVERABILITY
 
The terms of this Agreement are hereby declared to be severable, such that if any term hereof is determined to be invalid or unenforceable, such determination shall not affect the remaining terms.
 
21.
INSTRUMENT UNDER SEAL; HEADINGS
 
This Agreement is intended to take effect as, and shall be deemed to be, an instrument under seal.
 
22.
REQUEST FOR INSTRUCTIONS
 
If, in performing its duties under this Agreement, the Custodian is required to decide between alternative courses of action, the Custodian may (but shall not be obliged to) request written instructions from the Company as to the course of action desired by it.  If the Custodian does not receive such instructions within two (2) days after it has requested them, the Custodian may, but shall be under no duty to, take or refrain from taking any such courses of action.  The Custodian shall act in accordance with instructions received from the Company in response to such request after such two-day period except to the extent it has already taken, or committed itself to take, action inconsistent with such instructions.
 
23.
OTHER BUSINESS
 
Nothing herein shall prevent the Custodian or any of its affiliates from engaging in other business, or from entering into any other transaction or financial or other relationship with, or receiving fees from or from rendering services of any kind to the Company or any other Person.  Nothing contained in this Agreement shall constitute the Company and/or the Custodian (and/or any other Person) as members of any partnership, joint venture, association, syndicate, unincorporated business or similar assignment as a result of or by virtue of the engagement or relationship established by this Agreement.
 
24.
REPRODUCTION OF DOCUMENTS
 
This Agreement and all schedules, exhibits, attachments and amendment hereto may be reproduced by any photographic, photostatic, microfilm, micro-card, miniature photographic or other similar process.  The parties hereto each agree that any such reproduction shall be admissible in evidence as the original itself in any judicial or administrative proceeding, whether or not the original is in existence and whether or not such reproduction was made by a party in the regular course of business, and that any enlargement, facsimile or further production shall likewise be admissible in evidence.
 
 
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25.
MISCELLANEOUS
 
The Company acknowledges receipt of the following notice:

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR OPENING A NEW ACCOUNT.

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who opens an account.  For a non-individual person such as a business entity, a charity, a trust or other legal entity the Custodian will ask for documentation to verify its formation and existence as a legal entity.  The Custodian may also ask to see financial statements, licenses, identification and authorization documents from individuals claiming authority to represent the entity or other relevant documentation."

 
[PAGE INTENTIONALLY ENDS HERE. SIGNATURES APPEAR ON NEXT PAGE.]
 
 
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the parties has caused this Agreement to be executed and delivered by a duly authorized officer, intending the same to take effect as of the ____ day of ___________.
 
Witness:
 
[____________________]
     
   
By:
 
Name:
 
Name:
Title:
 
Title:
     
Witness:
 
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
     
   
By:
 
Name:
 
Name:
Title:
 
Title:
 
 
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SCHEDULE A

(Trade Confirmation)

[See Attached.]
 
 
 

 
 
SCHEDULE B

Any of the following persons (each acting singly) shall be an Authorized Person (as this list may subsequently be modified by the Company from time to time by written notice to the Custodian):

NAME:
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
Exhibit k.1

ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
 
This Agreement (“Agreement”) is made as of March 28, 2011 by and between NeXt Innovation Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and NeXt Innovation Service Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the “Administrator”).
 
WITNESSETH:
 
WHEREAS, the Company is a newly organized closed-end management investment fund that intends to elect to be treated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “Investment Company Act”); and
 
WHEREAS, the Company desires to retain the Administrator to provide administrative services to the Company in the manner and on the terms hereinafter set forth; and
 
WHEREAS, the Administrator is willing to provide administrative services to the Company  on the terms and conditions hereafter set forth.
 
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants hereinafter contained and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, the Company and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
 
1.
Duties of the Administrator
 
(a)           Employment of Administrator.  The Company hereby employs the Administrator to act as administrator of the Company, and to furnish, or arrange for others to furnish, the administrative services, personnel and facilities described below, subject to review by and the overall control of the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Board”), for the period and on the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment and agrees during such period to render, or arrange for the rendering of, such services and to assume the obligations herein set forth subject to the reimbursement of costs and expenses provided for below. The Administrator and such others shall for all purposes herein be deemed to be independent contractors and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized herein, have no authority to act for or represent the Company in any way or otherwise be deemed agents of the Company.
 
(b)           Services.  The Administrator shall perform (or oversee, or arrange for, the performance of) the administrative services necessary for the operation of the Company. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator shall provide the Company  with office facilities, equipment, clerical, bookkeeping and record keeping services at such facilities and such other services as the Administrator, subject to review by the Board, shall from time to time determine to be necessary or useful to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also, on behalf of the Company, conduct relations with custodians, depositories, transfer agents, dividend disbursing agents, other stockholder servicing agents, accountants, attorneys, underwriters, brokers and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and such other persons in any such other capacity deemed to be necessary or desirable.  The Administrator shall make reports to the Board of its performance of obligations hereunder and furnish advice and recommendations with respect to such other aspects of the business and affairs of the Company as it shall determine to be desirable; provided that nothing herein shall be construed to require the Administrator to, and the Administrator shall not, provide any advice or recommendation relating to the securities and other assets that the Company should purchase, retain or sell or any other investment advisory services to the Company.  The Administrator shall be responsible for the financial and other records that the Company is required to maintain, and under the Investment Company Act, shall prepare, print and disseminate reports to stockholders, and reports and other materials filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).  The Administrator will provide on the Company’s behalf significant managerial assistance to those portfolio companies to which the Company is required to provide such assistance. In addition, the Administrator will assist the Company in determining and publishing the Company’s net asset value, overseeing the preparation and filing of the Company’s tax returns, and generally overseeing the payment of the Company’s expenses and the performance of administrative and professional services rendered to the Company by others.
 
 
 

 
 
2.
Records
 
The Administrator agrees to maintain and keep all books, accounts and other records of the Company that relate to activities performed by the Administrator hereunder and will maintain and keep such books, accounts and records in accordance with the Investment Company Act.  In compliance with the requirements of Rule 31a-3 under the Investment Company Act, the Administrator agrees that all records which it maintains for the Company shall at all times remain the property of the Company, shall be readily accessible during normal business hours, and shall be promptly surrendered upon the termination of the Agreement or otherwise on written request. The Administrator further agrees that all records which it maintains for the Company pursuant to Rule 31a-1 under the Investment Company Act will be preserved for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 under the Investment Company Act unless any such records are earlier surrendered as provided above. Records shall be surrendered in usable machine-readable form. The Administrator shall have the right to retain copies of such records subject to observance of its confidentiality obligations under this Agreement.
 
3.
Confidentiality
 
The parties hereto agree that each shall treat confidentially the terms and conditions of this Agreement and all information provided by each party to the other regarding its business and operations. All confidential information provided by a party hereto, including nonpublic personal information (regulated pursuant to Regulation S-P and S-AM), shall be used by any other party hereto solely for the purpose of rendering services pursuant to this Agreement and, except as may be required in carrying out this Agreement, shall not be disclosed to any third party, without the prior consent of such providing party. The foregoing shall not be applicable to any information that is publicly available when provided or thereafter becomes publicly available other than through a breach of this Agreement, or that is required to be disclosed by any regulatory authority, any authority or legal counsel of the parties hereto, by judicial or administrative process or otherwise by applicable law or regulation.
 
 
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4.
Compensation; Allocation of Costs and Expenses
 
In full consideration of the provision of the services of the Administrator, the Company  shall reimburse the Administrator for the costs and expenses incurred by the Administrator in performing its obligations and providing personnel and facilities hereunder.  The amount and nature of such reimbursements shall presented for review, on not less than a quarterly basis, to the members of the audit committee of the Board, or in lieu thereof, to a committee of the Board, all of the members of which are not “interested persons” of the Company, as such term is defined under the Investment Company Act.  The Company will bear all costs and expenses that are incurred in its operation, administration and transactions and not specifically assumed by NeXt Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), pursuant to that certain Investment Advisory Agreement, dated as of March ___, 2011 by and between the Company and the Adviser. Costs and expenses to be borne by the Company  include, but are not limited to, those relating to: organization and offering; calculating the Company’s net asset value (including the cost and expenses of any independent valuation firm); expenses incurred by the Adviser payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, in monitoring financial and legal affairs for the Company and in providing administrative services, monitoring the Company’s investments and performing due diligence on its prospective portfolio companies; interest payable on debt, if any, incurred to finance the Company’s investments; sales and purchases of the Company’s common stock and other securities; investment advisory and management fees; administration fees, if any, payable under this Agreement; fees payable to third parties, including agents, consultants or other advisors, relating to, or associated with, evaluating and making investments; transfer agent and custodial fees; federal and state registration fees; all costs of registration and listing the Company’s shares on any securities exchange; federal, state and local taxes; independent Directors’ fees and expenses; costs of preparing and filing reports or other documents required by the Securities and Exchange Commission; costs of any reports, proxy statements or other notices to stockholders, including printing costs; the Company’s allocable portion of the fidelity bond, directors and officers/errors and omissions liability insurance, and any other insurance premiums; direct costs and expenses of administration, including printing, mailing, long distance telephone, copying, secretarial and other staff, independent auditors and outside legal costs; and all other expenses incurred by the Company or the Administrator in connection with administering the Company’s business, including payments under this Agreement based upon the Company’s allocable portion of the Administrator’s overhead in performing its obligations under the Administration Agreement, including rent and the allocable portion of the cost of the Company’s chief compliance officer and chief financial officer and their respective staffs.
 
5.
Limitation of Liability of the Administrator; Indemnification
 
The Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator, including without limitation its sole member, the Adviser to the extent that they are providing services for or otherwise acting on behalf of the Administrator, Adviser or the Company) shall not be liable to the Company for any action taken or omitted to be taken by the Administrator in connection with the performance of any of its duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Company, and the Company shall indemnify, defend and protect the Administrator (and its officers, managers, partners, agents, employees, controlling persons, members, and any other person or entity affiliated with the Administrator, including without limitation the Adviser, each of whom shall be deemed a third party beneficiary hereof) (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”) and hold them harmless from and against all damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and amounts reasonably paid in settlement) incurred by the Indemnified Parties in or by reason of any pending, threatened or completed action, suit, investigation or other proceeding (including an action or suit by or in the right of the Company or its security holders) arising out of or otherwise based upon the performance of any of the Administrator’s duties or obligations under this Agreement or otherwise as administrator for the Company.  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence of this Section 5 to the contrary, nothing contained herein shall protect or be deemed to protect the Indemnified Parties against or entitle or be deemed to entitle the Indemnified Parties to indemnification in respect of, any liability to the Company or its security holders to which the Indemnified Parties would otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of the Administrator’s duties or by reason of the reckless disregard of the Administrator’s duties and obligations under this Agreement (to the extent applicable, as the same shall be determined in accordance with the Investment Company Act and any interpretations or guidance by the SEC or its staff thereunder).
 
 
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6.
Activities of the Administrator
 
The services of the Administrator to the Company are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Administrator and each affiliate is free to render services to others. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Company  are or may become interested in the Administrator and its affiliates, as directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners, stockholders or otherwise, and that the Administrator and directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners and stockholders of the Administrator and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Company as stockholders or otherwise.
 
7.
Duration and Termination of this Agreement
 
(a)          This Agreement shall become effective as of the first date above written.  The provisions of Section 5 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Administrator shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement.  Further, notwithstanding the termination or expiration of this Agreement as aforesaid, the Administrator shall be entitled to any amounts owed under Section 4 through the date of termination or expiration and Section 5 shall continue in force and effect and apply to the Administrator and its representatives as and to the extent applicable. This Agreement shall continue in effect for two years from the date hereof, and thereafter shall continue automatically for successive annual periods, provided that such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by:
 
(i)           the vote of the Board, or by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company; and
 
(ii)          the vote of a majority of the Company’s Directors who are not parties to this Agreement or “interested persons” (as such term is defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act) of any such party, in accordance with the requirements of the Investment Company Act.
 
 
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(b)          The Agreement may be terminated at any time, without the payment of any penalty, upon not more than 60 days’ written notice, by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Company, or by the vote of the Board or by the Administrator.
 
(c)          This Agreement may not be assigned by a party without the consent of the other party.  The provisions of Section 5 of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, and the Administrator shall remain entitled to the benefits thereof, notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement.
 
8.
Amendments of this Agreement
 
This Agreement may be amended pursuant to a written instrument by mutual consent of the parties.
 
9.
Governing Law
 
This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York and the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act. To the extent the applicable laws of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.
 
10.
Entire Agreement
 
This Agreement contains the entire agreement of the parties and supersedes all prior agreements, understandings and arrangements with respect to the subject matter hereof.
 
11.
Notices
 
Any notice under this Agreement shall be given in writing, addressed and delivered or mailed, postage prepaid, to the other party at its principal office.
 
[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]
 
 
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this Agreement as of the date first above written.
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.
   
By:
  
 
Name: Michael T. Moe
 
Title:   Chief Executive Officer and President
   
NEXT INNOVATION SERVICE COMPANY, LLC
   
By:
  
 
Name:  Michael T. Moe
 
Title:    Managing Member

 
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Exhibit k.2
 
[FORM OF INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT]
 
THIS INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) is made and entered into this ___ day of _______________, 2011, by and between NeXt Innovation Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), and the undersigned (“Indemnitee”).

WHEREAS, at the request of the Company, Indemnitee currently serves as a director of the Company and may, therefore, be subjected to claims, suits or proceedings arising as a result of his service; and

WHEREAS, as an inducement to Indemnitee to continue to serve as such director, the Company has agreed to indemnify and to advance expenses and costs incurred by Indemnitee in connection with any such claims, suits or proceedings, to the fullest extent permitted by law, except as otherwise expressly provided for herein; and

WHEREAS, the parties by this Agreement desire to set forth their agreement regarding indemnification and advance of expenses;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants contained herein, and of other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the Company and Indemnitee do hereby covenant and agree as follows:

Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement:

(a) “Change of Control” shall mean the occurrence of any of the following events after the Effective Date of this Agreement:

(i)           the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; or

(ii)           the acquisition, whether directly, indirectly, beneficially (within the meaning of rule 13d-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”)) or of record, as a result of a merger, consolidation or otherwise, of securities of the Company representing twenty percent (20%) or more of the aggregate voting power of the Company’s then-outstanding Common Stock by any “person” (within the meaning of Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the 1934 Act), including, but not limited to, any corporation or group of persons acting in concert, other than (i) the Company or its subsidiaries and/or (ii) any employee pension benefit plan (within the meaning of Section 3(2) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) of the Company or its subsidiaries, including a trust established pursuant to any such plan; or

(iii)           the individuals who were members of the Board of Directors as of the Effective Date (the “Incumbent Board”) cease to constitute at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Board; provided, however, that any director appointed by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the then Incumbent Board or nominated by at least two-thirds (2/3) of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of the Board of Directors (a majority of the members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee shall be members of the then Incumbent Board or appointees thereof), other than any director appointed or nominated in connection with, or as a result of, a threatened or actual proxy or control contest, shall be deemed to constitute a member of the Incumbent Board.
 
 
 

 
 
(b) “Corporate Status” means the status of a person who is or was a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise for which such person is or was serving at the request of the Company.

(c) “Disinterested Director” means a director of the Company who is not and was not a party to the Proceeding in respect of which indemnification is sought by Indemnitee.

(d) “Effective Date” means the date set forth in the first paragraph of this Agreement.

(e) “Expenses” shall include all reasonable attorneys’ fees, retainers, court costs, transcript costs, fees of experts, witness fees, travel expenses, duplicating costs, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, postage, delivery service fees, and all other disbursements or expenses of the types customarily incurred in connection with prosecuting, defending, preparing to prosecute or defend, investigating, or being or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding.

(f) “Independent Counsel” means a law firm, or a member of a law firm, that is experienced in matters of corporation law and neither is, nor in the past five years has been, retained to represent: (i) the Company or Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party, or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or Indemnitee in an action to determine Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.  If a Change of Control has not occurred, Independent Counsel shall be selected by the Board of Directors, with the approval of Indemnitee, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld. If a Change of Control has occurred, Independent Counsel shall be selected by Indemnitee, with the approval of the Board of Directors, which approval will not be unreasonably withheld.

(g) “Proceeding” includes any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, arbitration, alternate dispute resolution mechanism, investigation, administrative hearing or any other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (including on appeal), except one (i) initiated by an Indemnitee pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement to enforce his rights under this Agreement or (ii) pending or completed on or before the Effective Date, unless otherwise specifically agreed in writing by the Company and Indemnitee.

Section 2. Services by Indemnitee. Indemnitee will serve as a director of the Company. However, this Agreement shall not impose any obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond any period otherwise required by law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any.

Section 3. Indemnification — General. The Company shall indemnify, and advance Expenses to, Indemnitee (a) as provided in this Agreement and (b) otherwise to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law in effect on the date hereof and as amended from time to time; provided, however, that no change in Maryland law shall have the effect of reducing the benefits available to Indemnitee hereunder based on Maryland law as in effect on the date hereof. The rights of Indemnitee provided in this Section 3 shall include, without limitation, the rights set forth in the other sections of this Agreement, including any additional indemnification permitted by Section 2-418(g) of the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 3 or any other section of this Agreement, for so long as the Company is subject to the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Investment Company Act”), the Company shall not indemnify or advance Expenses to Indemnitee to the extent such indemnification or advance would violate the Investment Company Act.
 
 
 

 

Section 4. Proceedings Other Than Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section 4 if, by reason of his Corporate Status, he is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened, pending, or completed Proceeding, other than a Proceeding by or in the right of the Company. Pursuant to this Section 4, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement and all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with a Proceeding by reason of his Corporate Status unless it is established that (i) the act or omission of Indemnitee was material to the matter giving rise to the Proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (ii) Indemnitee actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services, or (iii) in the case of any criminal Proceeding, Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe that his conduct was unlawful.

Section 5. Proceedings by or in the Right of the Company. Indemnitee shall be entitled to the rights of indemnification provided in this Section 5 if, by reason of his Corporate Status, he is, or is threatened to be, made a party to or a witness in any threatened, pending or completed Proceeding brought by or in the right of the Company to procure a judgment in its favor. Pursuant to this Section 5, Indemnitee shall be indemnified against all amounts paid in settlement and all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with such Proceeding unless it is established that (i) the act or omission of Indemnitee was material to the matter giving rise to such a Proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty or (ii) Indemnitee actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services.

Section 6. Court-Ordered Indemnification. In addition to any other indemnification that may be provided under this Agreement, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, a court of appropriate jurisdiction, upon application of Indemnitee and such notice as the court shall require, may order indemnification in the following circumstances:

(a)  if it determines Indemnitee is entitled to reimbursement under Section 2-418(d)(1) of the MGCL, the court shall order indemnification, in which case Indemnitee shall be entitled to recover the expenses of securing such reimbursement; or

(b)  if it determines that Indemnitee is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification in view of all the relevant circumstances, whether or not Indemnitee (i) has met the standards of conduct set forth in Section 2-418(b) of the MGCL or (ii) has been adjudged liable for receipt of an improper personal benefit under Section 2-418(c) of the MGCL, the court may order such indemnification as the court shall deem proper.  However, indemnification with respect to any Proceeding by or in the right of the Company or in which liability shall have been adjudged in the circumstances described in Section 2-418(c) of the MGCL shall be limited to Expenses.

Section 7. Indemnification for Expenses of a Party Who is Wholly or Partly Successful. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, and without limiting any such provision, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, made a party to and is successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any Proceeding, he shall be indemnified for all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.  If Indemnitee is not wholly successful in such Proceeding but is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such Proceeding, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee under this Section 7 for all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter, allocated on a reasonable and proportionate basis.  For purposes of this Section and without limitation, the termination of any claim, issue or matter in such a Proceeding by dismissal, with or without prejudice, shall be deemed to be a successful result as to such claim, issue or matter.
 
 
 

 

Section 8. Advance of Expenses. The Company shall advance all reasonable Expenses incurred by or on behalf of Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding to which Indemnitee is, or is threatened to be, made a party or a witness, within ten days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances from time to time, whether prior to or after final disposition of such Proceeding. Such statement or statements shall reasonably evidence the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee and shall include or be preceded or accompanied by a written affirmation by Indemnitee of Indemnitee’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Company as authorized by law and by this Agreement has been met and a written undertaking by or on behalf of Indemnitee, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit A or in such form as may be required under applicable law as in effect at the time of the execution thereof, to reimburse the portion of any Expenses advanced to Indemnitee relating to claims, issues or matters in the Proceeding as to which it shall ultimately be established that the standard of conduct has not been met and which have not been successfully resolved as described in Section 7. For so long as the Company is subject to the Investment Company Act, any advancement of Expenses shall be subject to at least one of the following as a condition of the advancement: (a) Indemnitee shall provide a security for his or her undertaking, (b) the Company shall be insured against losses arising by reason of any lawful advances or (c) a majority of a quorum of the Disinterested Directors of the Company, or Independent Counsel in a written opinion, shall determine, based on a review of readily available facts (as opposed to a full-trial-type inquiry), that there is reason to believe that Indemnitee ultimately will be found entitled to indemnification .  To the extent that Expenses advanced to Indemnitee do not relate to a specific claim, issue or matter in the Proceeding, such Expenses shall be allocated on a reasonable and proportionate basis.  The undertaking required by this Section 8 shall be an unlimited general obligation by or on behalf of Indemnitee and shall be accepted without reference to Indemnitee’s financial ability to repay such advanced Expenses and without any requirement to post security therefor.

Section 9. Procedure for Determination of Entitlement to Indemnification.  (a)  To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, Indemnitee shall submit to the Company a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification.  The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors in writing that Indemnitee has requested indemnification. (b)  Upon written request by Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of Section 9(a) hereof, a determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall promptly be made in the specific case: (i) if a Change of Control shall have occurred, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee; or (ii) if a Change of Control shall not have occurred, (A) by the Board of Directors (or a duly authorized committee thereof) by a majority vote of a quorum consisting of Disinterested Directors, or (B) if a quorum of the Board of Directors consisting of Disinterested Directors is not obtainable or, even if obtainable, such quorum of Disinterested Directors so directs, by Independent Counsel in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to Indemnitee, or (C) if so directed by a majority of the members of the Board of Directors, by the stockholders of the Company; and, if it is so determined that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to Indemnitee shall be made within ten days after such determination. Indemnitee shall cooperate with the person, persons or entity making such determination with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such person, persons or entity upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably available to Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination.  Any costs or Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in so cooperating with the person, persons or entity making such determination shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company shall indemnify and hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom.

Section 10. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings. (a)  In making a determination with respect to entitlement to indemnification hereunder, the person or persons or entity making such determination shall presume that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 9(a) of this Agreement, and the Company shall have the burden of proof to overcome that presumption in connection with the making of any determination contrary to that presumption.  (b)  The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, or an entry of an order of probation prior to judgment, does not create a presumption that Indemnitee did not meet the requisite standard of conduct described herein for indemnification.
 
 
 

 

Section 11. Remedies of Indemnitee. (a)  If (i) a determination is made pursuant to Section 9 of this Agreement that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under this Agreement, (ii) advance of Expenses is not timely made pursuant to Section 8 of this Agreement, (iii) no determination of entitlement to indemnification shall have been made pursuant to Section 9(b) of this Agreement within 30 days after receipt by the Company of the request for indemnification, (iv) payment of indemnification is not made pursuant to Section 7 of this Agreement within ten days after receipt by the Company of a written request therefor, or (v) payment of indemnification is not made within ten days after a determination has been made that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, Indemnitee shall be entitled to an adjudication in an appropriate court of the State of Maryland, or in any other court of competent jurisdiction, of his entitlement to such indemnification or advance of Expenses.  Alternatively, Indemnitee, at his option, may seek an award in arbitration to be conducted by a single arbitrator pursuant to the commercial Arbitration Rules of the American Arbitration Association.  Indemnitee shall commence such proceeding seeking an adjudication or an award in arbitration within 180 days following the date on which Indemnitee first has the right to commence such proceeding pursuant to this Section 11(a); provided, however, that the foregoing clause shall not apply to a proceeding brought by Indemnitee to enforce his rights under Section 7 of this Agreement.  (b)  In any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 11 the Company shall have the burden of proving that Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification or advance of Expenses, as the case may be. (c)  If a determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 9(b) of this Agreement that Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding or arbitration commenced pursuant to this Section 11, absent a misstatement by Indemnitee of a material fact, or an omission of a material fact necessary to make Indemnitee’s statement not materially misleading, in connection with the request for indemnification.
(d)  In the event that Indemnitee, pursuant to this Section 11, seeks a judicial adjudication of or an award in arbitration to enforce his rights under, or to recover damages for breach of, this Agreement, Indemnitee shall be entitled to recover from the Company, and shall be indemnified by the Company for, any and all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him in such judicial adjudication or arbitration. If it shall be determined in such judicial adjudication or arbitration that Indemnitee is entitled to receive part but not all of the indemnification or advance of Expenses sought, the Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with such judicial adjudication or arbitration shall be appropriately prorated.

Section 12. Defense of the Underlying Proceeding. (a)  Indemnitee shall notify the Company promptly upon being served with or receiving any summons, citation, subpoena, complaint, indictment, information, notice, request or other document relating to any Proceeding which may result in the right to indemnification or the advance of Expenses hereunder; provided, however, that the failure to give any such notice shall not disqualify Indemnitee from the right, or otherwise affect in any manner any right of Indemnitee, to indemnification or the advance of Expenses under this Agreement unless the Company’s ability to defend in such Proceeding or to obtain proceeds under any insurance policy is materially and adversely prejudiced thereby, and then only to the extent the Company is thereby actually so prejudiced. (b)  Subject to the provisions of the last sentence of this Section 12(b) and of Section 12(c) below, the Company shall have the right to defend Indemnitee in any Proceeding which may give rise to indemnification hereunder; provided, however, that the Company shall notify Indemnitee of any such decision to defend within 15 calendar days following receipt of notice of any such Proceeding under Section 12(a) above.  The Company shall not, without the prior written consent of Indemnitee, which shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, consent to the entry of any judgment against Indemnitee or enter into any settlement or compromise which (i) includes an admission of fault of Indemnitee or (ii) does not include, as an unconditional term thereof, the full release of Indemnitee from all liability in respect of such Proceeding, which release shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to Indemnitee.  This Section 12(b) shall not apply to a Proceeding brought by Indemnitee under Section 11 above or Section 18 below. (c)  Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 12(b) above, if in a Proceeding to which Indemnitee is a party by reason of Indemnitee’s Corporate Status, (i) Indemnitee reasonably concludes, based upon an opinion of counsel approved by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, that he may have separate defenses or counterclaims to assert with respect to any issue which may not be consistent with other defendants in such Proceeding, (ii) Indemnitee reasonably concludes, based upon an opinion of counsel approved by the Company, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld, that an actual or apparent conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest exists between Indemnitee and the Company, or (iii) if the Company fails to assume the defense of such Proceeding in a timely manner, Indemnitee shall be entitled to be represented by separate legal counsel of Indemnitee’s choice, subject to the prior approval of the Company, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, at the expense of the Company.  In addition, if the Company fails to comply with any of its obligations under this Agreement or in the event that the Company or any other person takes any action to declare this Agreement void or unenforceable, or institutes any Proceeding to deny or to recover from Indemnitee the benefits intended to be provided to Indemnitee hereunder, Indemnitee shall have the right to retain counsel of Indemnitee’s choice, subject to the prior approval of the Company, which shall not be unreasonably withheld, at the expense of the Company (subject to Section 11(d)), to represent Indemnitee in connection with any such matter.
 
 
 

 
 
Section 13. Non-Exclusivity; Survival of Rights; Subrogation; Insurance; Investment Company Act. (a)  The rights of indemnification and advance of Expenses as provided by this Agreement shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which Indemnitee may at any time be entitled under applicable law, the Articles of Amendment and Restatement of the Company (as amended from time to time, the “Charter”) or the Bylaws of the Company (as amended from time to time, the “Bylaws”), any agreement or a resolution of the stockholders entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or of the Board of Directors, or otherwise.  No amendment, alteration or repeal of this Agreement or of any provision hereof shall limit or restrict any right of Indemnitee under this Agreement in respect of any action taken or omitted by such Indemnitee in his Corporate Status prior to such amendment, alteration or repeal. (b)  In the event of any payment under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of recovery of Indemnitee, who shall execute all papers required and take all action necessary to secure such rights, including execution of such documents as are necessary to enable the Company to bring suit to enforce such rights.
(c)  The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment of amounts otherwise indemnifiable or payable or reimbursable as expenses hereunder if and to the extent that (i) Indemnitee has otherwise actually received such payment under any insurance policy, contract, agreement or otherwise, or (ii) for so long as the Company is subject to the Investment Company Act, indemnification or payment or reimbursement of expenses would not be permissible under the Investment Company Act.

Section 14. Insurance. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to acquire directors and officers liability insurance, on terms and conditions deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors of the Company, with the advice of counsel, covering Indemnitee or any claim made against Indemnitee for service as a director or officer of the Company and covering the Company for any indemnification or advance of Expenses made by the Company to Indemnitee for any claims made against Indemnitee for service as a director or officer of the Company.  Without in any way limiting any other obligation under this Agreement, the Company shall indemnify Indemnitee for any payment by Indemnitee arising out of the amount of any deductible or retention and the amount of any excess of the aggregate of all judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable Expenses incurred by Indemnitee in connection with a Proceeding over the coverage of any insurance referred to in the previous sentence.

Section 15. Indemnification for Expenses of a Witness.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, to the extent that Indemnitee is, by reason of his Corporate Status, a witness in any Proceeding, whether instituted by the Company or any other party, and to which Indemnitee is not a party, he shall be advanced all reasonable Expenses and indemnified against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by him or on his behalf in connection therewith.

Section 16. Duration of Agreement; Binding Effect. (a)  This Agreement shall continue until and terminate ten years after the date that Indemnitee’s Corporate Status shall have ceased; provided, that the rights of Indemnitee hereunder shall continue until the final termination of any Proceeding then pending in respect of which Indemnitee is granted rights of indemnification or advance of Expenses hereunder and of any proceeding commenced by Indemnitee pursuant to Section 11 of this Agreement relating thereto. (b)  The indemnification and advance of Expenses provided by, or granted pursuant to, this Agreement shall be binding upon and be enforceable by the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns (including any direct or indirect successor by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise to all or substantially all of the business or assets of the Company), shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to be a director, trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Company or of any other corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise which such person is or was serving at the written request of the Company, and shall inure to the benefit of Indemnitee and his spouse, assigns, heirs, devisees, executors and administrators and other legal representatives. (c)  The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all or a substantial part, of the business and/or assets of the Company, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place.
 
 
 

 
 
Section 17. Severability.  If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason whatsoever: (a) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby; and (b) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including, without limitation, each portion of any section of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that is not itself invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed so as to give effect to the intent manifested thereby.

Section 18. Exception to Right of Indemnification or Advance of Expenses.  Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification or advance of Expenses under this Agreement with respect to any Proceeding brought by Indemnitee, unless (a) the Proceeding is brought to enforce indemnification under this Agreement or otherwise or (b) the Company’s Bylaws, the Charter, a resolution of the stockholders entitled to vote generally in the election of directors or of the Board of Directors or an agreement approved by the Board of Directors to which the Company is a party expressly provide otherwise.  In addition, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification or advance of Expenses under this Agreement to the extent such indemnification or advance of Expenses would conflict with any provision of the Company’s Bylaws or the Charter, in each case without giving effect to the non-exclusivity provision set forth in Section 7.8 of the Charter; provided, that foregoing restriction not apply and shall be of no force or effect if and to the extent the Company’s common stock is qualified as a “covered security,” as such term is defined in Section 18 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Section 19. Identical Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in one or more counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same Agreement.  One such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought shall be sufficient to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

Section 20. Headings.  The headings of the paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction thereof.

Section 21. Modification and Waiver. No supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties hereto.  No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar) nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.

Section 22. Notices.  All notices, requests, demands and other communications hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly given if (i) delivered by hand and receipted for by the party to whom said notice or other communication shall have been directed, or (ii) mailed by certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, on the third business day after the date on which it is so mailed:

(a) If to Indemnitee, to: the address set forth on the signature page hereto.

(b) If to the Company, to:

NeXt Innovation Corp.
2965 Woodside Road
Woodside, CA 94062
 
or to such other address as may have been furnished to Indemnitee by the Company or to the Company by Indemnitee, as the case may be.

 
 

 
 
Section 23. Governing Law. The parties agree that this Agreement shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with (i) the laws of the State of Maryland applicable to contracts formed and to be performed entirely within the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflicts of laws rules, to the extent such rules would require or permit the application of the laws of another jurisdiction, and (ii) the Investment Company Act.  To the extent the applicable laws of the State of Maryland or any applicable provision of this Agreement shall conflict with the applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act, the latter shall control.

Section 24. Miscellaneous.  Use of the masculine pronoun shall be deemed to include usage of the feminine pronoun where appropriate.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
 
 
 

 
 
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement on the day and year first above written.

ATTEST:
 
NeXt INNOVATION CORP.
 
         
         
 
 
By:
 
(SEAL)
  
   
Name:
Michael T. Moe
 
   
Title:
Chief Executive Officer,
President, Chairman of the
Board and Director
 
         
WITNESS:
 
INDEMNITEE
 
         
       
         
   
Name:
   
   
Title:
   
         
   
Address:
   
 
 
 

 

EXHIBIT A

FORM OF UNDERTAKING TO REPAY EXPENSES ADVANCED

The Board of Directors of NeXt Innovation Corp.

Re: Undertaking to Repay Expenses Advanced

Ladies and Gentlemen:

This undertaking is being provided pursuant to that certain Indemnification Agreement (the “Indemnification Agreement”) dated the ___day of _______________, 20___, by and between NeXt Innovation Corp. (the “Company”) and the undersigned Indemnitee (“Indemnitee”), pursuant to which I am entitled to advance of expenses in connection with [Description of Proceeding] (the “Proceeding”).

Terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the meanings specified in the Indemnification Agreement.

I am subject to the Proceeding by reason of my Corporate Status or by reason of alleged actions or omissions by me in such capacity. I hereby affirm that at all times, insofar as I was involved as director of the Company, in any of the facts or events giving rise to the Proceeding, I (1) acted in good faith and honestly, (2) did not receive any improper personal benefit in money, property or services and (3) in the case of any criminal proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe that any act or omission by me was unlawful.

In consideration of the advance of Expenses by the Company for reasonable attorneys’ fees and related expenses incurred by me in connection with the Proceeding (the “Advanced Expenses”), I hereby agree that if, in connection with the Proceeding, it is established that (1) an act or omission by me was material to the matter giving rise to the Proceeding and (a) was committed in bad faith or (b) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty or (2) I actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services or (3) in the case of any criminal proceeding, I had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful, then I shall promptly reimburse the portion of the Advanced Expenses relating to the claims, issues or matters in the Proceeding as to which the foregoing findings have been established and which have not been successfully resolved as described in Section 7 of the Indemnification Agreement. To the extent that Advanced Expenses do not relate to a specific claim, issue or matter in the Proceeding, I agree that such Expenses shall be allocated on a reasonable and proportionate basis.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed this Affirmation and Undertaking on this ___day of ______________, 20___.
 
WITNESS:
     
       
     
(SEAL)
 
 
 
 

 


Unassociated Document
Exhibit n.2
 
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 
We have issued our report dated March 29, 2011 with respect to the statement of assets and liabilities of NeXt Innovation Corp. (a development stage company) (formerly NeXt BDC Capital Corp.) as of February 28, 2011 which is contained in the Registration Statement and Prospectus.  We consent to the use of the aforementioned report in the Registration Statement and Prospectus, and to the use of our name as it appears under the captions “Financial Statements” and “Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.”
 
 
/s/ GRANT THORNTON LLP
 
San Francisco, California
 
March  29, 2011
 

 
 
 

 
 
Exhibit r.
 
CODE OF ETHICS
 
I.
INTRODUCTION
 
NeXt Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”) seeks to foster and maintain a reputation for honesty, integrity and professionalism.  That reputation is a vital business asset.  The confidence and trust placed in Adviser are highly valued and must be protected.  Adviser has adopted this Code of Ethics (the “Code”) in accordance with Rules 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 and Rule 17j-l under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.  The Code includes the Adviser’s policy with respect to personal investment and trading and its insider trading policy and procedures.  NeXt Innovation Corp. (referred to as, the “BDC” or the “Fund”) has similarly and jointly adopted this Code of Ethics.  Thus, this Code of Ethics is applicable to all employees of the Adviser and the Fund (collectively “NeXt”).
 
II.
DEFINITIONS
 
A.          Access Person.  The term “Access Person” means (i) any Supervised Person who (1) has access to nonpublic information regarding a Client’s purchase or sale of securities; (2) has access to nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any Reportable Fund; and/or (3) is involved in making securities recommendations to Clients or who has access to such recommendations that are nonpublic and (ii) all of the directors, officers, employees, members or partners of NeXt.  By way of example, Access Persons include portfolio management personnel and service representatives who communicate investment advice to Clients.  Administrative, technical, and clerical personnel may also be Access Persons if their functions or duties provide them with access to nonpublic information.
 
B.           Advisers Act.  The term “Advisers Act” means the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
 
C.           Automatic Investment Plan.  An “Automatic Investment Plan is a program in which regular periodic purchases or withdrawals are made automatically in or from investment accounts according to a predetermined schedule and allocation.  An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.
 
D.           Beneficial Ownership.  You will be considered to have “Beneficial Ownership in a Security if: (i) you have a Pecuniary Interest in the Security; (ii) you have voting power with respect to the Security, meaning the power to vote or direct the voting of the Security; or (iii) you have the power to dispose, or direct the disposition of, the Security.  If you have any question about whether an interest in a Security or an account constitutes Beneficial Ownership of that Security, you should contact a Compliance Officer.
 
E.           Chief Compliance Officer.  The “Chief Compliance Officer is the Access Person designated respectively by Adviser and BDC for each entity respectively as such, as identified in NeXt’s Compliance Policies and Procedures Manual.
 
 
 

 
 
F.           Client.  The term “Client” means any investment entity or account advised or managed or subadvised by Adviser, including any pooled investment vehicle advised or subadvised by Adviser.
 
G.           Commission.  The term “Commission” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
 
H.           Compliance Officer.  The term “Compliance Officer” shall mean an Access Person deemed by NeXt to be sufficiently experienced to perform senior-level compliance functions, and shall include the Chief Compliance Officer.
 
I.            Exchange Act.  The term “Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
 
J.            Federal Securities Laws.  The term “Federal Securities Laws means the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act, the Advisers Act, Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, any rules adopted by the Commission under any of these statutes, the Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to funds and investment advisers, and any rules adopted under the Bank Secrecy Act by the Commission or the Department of the Treasury.
 
K.           Immediate Family.  The term “Immediate Family” includes a Supervised Person’s child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, and includes any adoptive relationship.
 
L.           Index Securities.  The term “Index Securities” means exchange-traded funds and derivatives based on broad-based indices.
 
M.          Initial Public Offering.  The term “Initial Public Offering” means an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Sections 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
 
N.           Investment Company Act.  The term “Investment Company Act” means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
 
O.           Non-Reportable Securities.  The term “Non-Reportable Securities means:  (i) direct obligations of the U.S. Government; (ii) bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments (defined as any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and that is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization), including repurchase agreements; (iii) shares issued by money market funds; (iv) shares issued by open-end funds registered under the Investment Company Act, other than Reportable Funds; and (v) shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, none of which are Reportable Funds.
 
 
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P.           Pecuniary Interest.  You will be considered to have a “Pecuniary Interest in a Security if you, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, have the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the Security.  The term “Pecuniary Interest” is construed very broadly.  The following examples illustrate this principle:  (i) ordinarily, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities owned by members of your Immediate Family who share the same household with you; (ii) if you are a general partner of a general or limited partnership, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities held by the partnership; (iii) if you are a shareholder of a corporation or similar business entity, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities held by the corporation if you are a controlling shareholder or have or share investment control over the corporation’s investment portfolio; (iv) if you have the right to acquire equity Securities through the exercise or conversion of a derivative Security, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in the Securities, whether or not your right is presently exercisable; (v) if you are the sole member or a manager of a limited liability company, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in the Securities held by the limited liability company; and (vi) ordinarily, if you are a trustee or beneficiary of a trust, where either you or members of your Immediate Family have a vested interest in the principal or income of the trust, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in all Securities held by that trust.  If you have any question about whether an interest in a Security or an account constitutes a Pecuniary Interest, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer.
 
Q.           Reportable Fund.  The term “Reportable Fund” means (i) any fund for which Adviser serves as investment adviser; or (ii) any fund whose investment adviser or principal underwriter controls Adviser, is controlled by Adviser, or is under common control with Adviser.  As used in this definition, the term control has the same meaning as it does in Section 2(a)(9) of the Investment Company Act.
 
R.           Reportable Security.  The term “Reportable Security” includes all Securities (including Index Securities) other than Non-Reportable Securities.
 
S.           Restricted List.  The “Restricted List” is a list maintained by the Chief Compliance Officer and will include the name of any company, whether or not a client of Adviser, as to which one or more individuals at Adviser has a fiduciary relationship or may have material information which has not been publicly disclosed.  No Supervised Person may trade in Securities on the Restricted List, whether for his own account or for the account of a Client.
 
T.           Securities Act.  The term “Securities Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
 
 
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U.           Security.  The term “Security has the same meaning as it has in section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act.  For purposes of this Code, the following are Securities:
 
Any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any security.
 
The following are not Securities:
 
Commodities, futures and options traded on a commodities exchange, including currency futures, except that (i) options on any group or index of Securities and (ii) futures on any group or narrow-based index of Securities are Securities.
 
You should note that “Security” includes a right to acquire a Security, as well as an interest in a collective investment vehicle (such as a limited partnership or limited liability company).
 
V.           Supervised Person.  The term “Supervised Person” means (i) any partner, member, officer or director of NeXt, or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar function; (ii) any employee of NeXt; (iii) any U.S. consultant who has been contracted by NeXt for more than ninety (90) days; and (iv)  any other person who provides advice on behalf of NeXt and is subject to NeXt's supervision and control.
 
III.
PERSONAL INVESTMENT AND TRADING POLICY
 
 
A.
General Statement
 
NeXt is committed to maintaining the highest standard of business conduct.
 
NeXt and its Supervised Persons must not act or behave in any manner or engage in any activity that (1) involves or creates even the suspicion or appearance of the misuse of material, nonpublic information by NeXt or any Supervised Person or (2) gives rise to, or appears to give rise to, any breach of fiduciary duty owed to any Client or investor.
 
 
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In addition, the Federal Securities Laws require that investment advisers maintain a record of every transaction in any Security, with certain exceptions, as described below, in which any Access Person acquires or disposes of Beneficial Ownership where the Security is or was held in an account over which the Access Person has direct or indirect influence or control.  Given the current size of its operations, NeXt has chosen to require reporting of transactions, as well as pre-approval of certain transactions, for all Supervised Persons, rather than only Access Persons.
 
NeXt has developed the following policies and procedures relating to personal trading in Securities and the reporting of such personal trading in Securities in order to ensure that each Supervised Person satisfies the requirements of this Code.
 
 
B.
Requirements of this Code
 
1.           Duty to Comply with Applicable Laws.
 
All Supervised Persons are required to comply with the Federal Securities Laws, the fiduciary duty owed by Adviser to its Clients, as applicable, and this Code.
 
2.           Duty to Report Violations.
 
Each Supervised Person is required by law to promptly notify the Chief Compliance Officer or designee in the event he or she knows or has reason to believe that he or she or any other Supervised Person has violated any provision of this Code.  If a Supervised Person knows or has reason to believe that the Chief Compliance Officer has violated any provision of this Code, the Supervised Person must promptly notify the Chief Financial Officer and is not required to notify the Chief Compliance Officer.
 
NeXt is committed to fostering a culture of compliance.  NeXt therefore urges you to contact the Chief Compliance Officer or designee if you have any questions regarding compliance.  You will not be penalized and your status at NeXt will not be jeopardized by communicating with the Chief Compliance Officer.  Reports of violations or a suspected violations also may be submitted anonymously to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee.  Any retaliatory action taken against any person who in good faith reports a violation or a suspected violation of this Code is itself a violation of this Code and cause for appropriate corrective action, including dismissal.
 
3.           Duty to Provide Copy of the Code of Ethics and Related Certification.
 
NeXt will provide all Supervised Persons with a copy of this Code and all subsequent amendments.  By law, all Supervised Persons must in turn provide written acknowledgement to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee of their initial receipt and review of this Code, their annual review of this Code and their receipt and review of any subsequent amendments to this Code.
 
 
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C.
Restrictions on Supervised Persons Trading in Securities
 
1.           General Statement.
 
No Supervised Person may engage in a transaction in a Security, which includes an interest in a collective investment vehicle, that is also the subject of a transaction by a Client if the Supervised Person’s transaction would disadvantage or appear to disadvantage the Client or if the Supervised Person would profit from or appear to profit from the transaction, whether or not at the expense of the Client.  The following specific restrictions apply to all trading activity by Supervised Persons:
 
(a)           No Supervised Person may engage in any purchases of a Reportable Security other than an Index Security.  Any transaction in an Index Security will be permitted only in compliance with the reporting requirements of this Code.  Sales of Reportable Securities other than Index Securities will be permitted only in compliance with the reporting and preclearance requirements of this Code.
 
(b)           Any transaction in a Security in anticipation of an order from or on behalf of a Client, also known as “front running,” is prohibited.
 
(c)           Any transaction in a Security included on the Restricted List of issuers maintained by NeXt is prohibited.  The Restricted List is maintained by the Chief Compliance Officer and his or her designees.  The Chief Compliance Officer or such other Compliance Officer as may be designated shall be responsible for:  (i) determining whether any security identified by a Supervised Person should be included on the Restricted List; (ii) determining when securities should be removed from the Restricted List; and (iii) ensuring that securities are added to and removed from the Restricted List, as appropriate.  The Restricted List shall be reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer or designee at least quarterly.
 
(d)           Any transaction in a Security which the Supervised Person knows or has reason to believe is being purchased or sold, or is being considered for purchase or sale, by or on behalf of a Client is prohibited until the Client’s transaction has been completed or consideration of the transaction is abandoned.  A Security is “being considered for purchase or sale” the earlier of when a recommendation to purchase or sell has been made and communicated or the Security is placed on Adviser’s research project lists and, with respect to the person making the recommendation, when the person seriously considers making such a recommendation.
 
(e)           Any transaction in a Security during the period which begins three days before and ends three days after any Client has traded in that Security is prohibited, unless approved by a Compliance Officer.
 
(f)           Any transaction in a Security on the same day in which any Client has a pending or actual transaction is prohibited, unless approved by a Compliance Officer.
 
(g)           Personal account trading must be done on the Supervised Person’s own time without placing undue burden on NeXt’s time.
 
(h)           No trades should be undertaken which are beyond the financial resources of the Supervised Person.
 
 
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(i)           Except in extraordinary circumstances, no transaction will be permitted if the Securities purchased are expected to have less than a thirty-day holding period or if they are seen as presently or potentially part of a Client strategy.
 
(j)           There is a presumption that a Supervised Person can exert some measure of influence or control over accounts held by members of such person’s Immediate Family sharing the same household.  Therefore, transactions by immediate family sharing the same household are subject to the policies herein.  A Supervised Person may rebut this presumption by presenting convincing evidence, in writing, to the Chief Compliance Officer and request an exemption to the policies herein.  All exemptions must be approved by the Chief Compliance Officer, in writing.
 
2.           All Sales of Reportable Securities, other than (i) Exempt Transactions described below in Section 4 or (ii) sales of Index Securities, must be pre-cleared by the Compliance Office under Section 5(b) below.
 
3.           Use of Broker-Dealers and Brokerage Accounts.
 
(a)           You may not engage, and you may not permit any other person or entity to engage, in any purchase or sale of publicly traded Reportable Securities of which you have, or by reason of the transaction will acquire, Beneficial Ownership, except through a registered broker-dealer or registered investment advisor.
 
(b)           You must provide written notice to a Compliance Officer of your opening of an account with a bank, advisor or broker through which you have the ability to purchase or sell Securities promptly after opening the account, and in any event before the first order for the purchase or sale of a Security is placed in the account.  A Compliance Officer will then ask you to complete and sign a written notice to the broker or bank, (the  forms of which are attached as Appendix IV and Appendix V hereto) which  discloses your affiliation with Adviser and request that copies of trade confirmations and statements be sent to the Chief Compliance Officer.  A Compliance Officer will execute this notice on behalf of NeXt and transmit it to the broker.
 
4.           The following are Exempt Transactions that do not require preclearance by a Compliance Officer:

(a)           Any transaction in Securities in an account over which a Supervised Person does not have any direct or indirect influence or control (such as a fully discretionary managed account through a registered investment advisor).
 
(b)           Purchases of Securities under Automatic Investment Plans (such as an employee sponsored 401K).
 
(c)           Purchases of Securities by exercise of rights issued to the holders of a class of Securities pro rata, to the extent they are issued with respect to Securities for which a Supervised Person has Beneficial Ownership.
 
(d)           Acquisitions or dispositions of Securities as the result of a stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, merger, consolidation, spin-off or other similar corporate distribution or reorganization applicable to all holders of a class of Securities for which a Supervised Person has Beneficial Ownership.
 
 
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(e)           Such other classes of transactions as may be exempted from time to time by the Chief Compliance Officer based upon a determination that the transactions are unlikely to violate Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act.
 
(f)           Such other specific transactions as may be exempted from time to time by the Chief Compliance Officer.
 
5.           Preclearance and Verification Procedures.
 
The following procedures shall govern all sales of Securities in which a Supervised Person has Beneficial Ownership (“Supervised Person Sales”) and which are subject to preclearance by a Compliance Officer.
 
(a)           Supervised Person Sales Subject to Preclearance.
 
A Supervised Person Sale may be disapproved if it is determined by the Chief Compliance Officer or designee that the Supervised Person is unfairly benefiting from, or that the transaction is in conflict with, or appears to be in conflict with, any Client Transaction (as defined below) any of the above-described trading restrictions, or this Code.  “Client Transactions” include transactions for any Client or any other account managed or advised by any Supervised Person for a fee.
 
The determination that a Supervised Person may unfairly benefit from, or that a Supervised Person Sale may conflict with or appears to be in conflict with, a Client Transaction will be subjective and individualized, and may include questions about the timely and adequate dissemination of information, availability of bids and offers, and other factors deemed pertinent for that transaction or series of transactions.  It is possible that a disapproval of a Supervised Person Sale could be costly to a Supervised Person or members of a Supervised Person’s family; therefore, each Supervised Person should take great care to adhere to NeXt’s trading restrictions and avoid conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest.
 
Any disapproval of a Supervised Person Sale shall be in writing.  A Supervised Person may appeal any such disapproval by written notice to the  Chief Financial Officer within two business days after receipt of notice of disapproval.  The appeal must be resolved promptly by the Chief Financial Officer.
 
(b)           Procedures for Preclearance of Supervised Person Sales.
 
(i)           Supervised Person Sales through Brokers or Banks.  Supervised Person Sales through brokers or banks are not permitted except through an account for which the Supervised Person has provided written notice to Adviser, and completed and signed a notice to the broker or bank to be sent by Adviser, in accordance with Section III.C.3(b).
 
To seek approval of a Supervised Person Sale, the Supervised Person must submit a request, to the Compliance Officer prior to executing each transaction through the broker or bank.  The Compliance Officer will notify a Supervised Person within two business days of any conflict and will advise whether the Supervised Person Sale has been cleared.
 
 
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(ii)           Other Transactions.  All other Supervised Person Sales must be cleared in writing by the Compliance Officer prior to the Supervised Person’s entering into the transaction.  If a Supervised Person wishes to engage in such a transaction, he or she must submit a request to the Compliance Officer.  The Compliance Officer will notify the Supervised Person within five business days of any conflict and will advise whether the Supervised Person Sale has been cleared.
 
IV.
REPORTING
 
 
A.
Reports About Securities Holdings and Transactions
 
Supervised Persons must submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee periodic written reports about their Securities holdings, transactions, and accounts, and the Securities of other persons if the Supervised Person has Beneficial Ownership of such Securities and the accounts of other persons if the Supervised Person has direct or indirect influence or control over such accounts.  The obligation to submit these reports and the content of these reports are governed by the Federal Securities Laws.  The reports are intended to identify conflicts of interest that could arise when a Supervised Person invests in a Security or holds accounts that permit these investments, and to promote compliance with this Code.  Adviser is sensitive to privacy concerns and will try not to disclose your reports to anyone unnecessarily.  Report forms are attached.
 
Failure to file a timely, accurate, and complete report is a serious breach of Commission rules and this Code.  If a Supervised Person is late in filing a report, or files a report that is misleading or incomplete, the Supervised Person may face sanctions including identification by name to the Chief Compliance Officer, withholding of salary or bonuses, or termination of employment.
 
1.           Initial Disclosure Reports:  Within ten days after you become a Supervised Person, you must submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee a securities accounts report (a form of which is attached as Appendix II thereto) and private investments report (a form of which is attached as Appendix VI thereto) based on information that is current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the date you become a Supervised Person.
 
(a)           The Initial Report of Securities Accounts contains the following:
 
(i)           The name/title and type of Security, and, as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the number of equity shares and principal amount of each Reportable Security for which you had Beneficial Ownership.  You may provide this information by referring to attached copies of broker transaction confirmations or account statements from the applicable recordkeepers that contain the information.
 
(ii)          The name and address of any broker, dealer, or bank or other institution (such as a general partner of a limited partnership, or transfer agent of a company) that maintained any account holding any Securities for which you have Beneficial Ownership, and the account numbers and names of the persons for whom the accounts are held.
 
 
A-9

 
 
(iii)         An executed statement (and a letter or other evidence) pursuant to which you have instructed each broker, dealer, bank, or other institution to provide duplicate account statements and confirmations of all Securities transactions, unless Adviser indicates that the information is otherwise available to it.  The form of this statement is attached as Appendix IV (for personal accounts) and Appendix V (for related accounts) hereto.
 
(iv)         The date you submitted the report.
 
(b)           The Initial Report of Private Investments contains the following:
 
(i)           A description of all private investments for which you have a Beneficial Ownership, the principal amount of those private investments, the approximate dates of acquisition, and whether the private investments involve or are associated with companies that have publicly traded debt or equity.
 
(ii)           The date you submitted the report.
 
2.           Quarterly Transaction Report:  Unless, as noted below, the Chief Compliance Officer already receives trade confirmations or account statements for all of your transactions in Reportable Securities, within 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter, you, as a Supervised Person, must submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee a transaction report, a form of which is attached as Appendix III hereto, that contains:
 
(a)           With respect to any transaction during the quarter in any Reportable Security in which you had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, Beneficial Ownership of the Reportable Security:
 
(i)           The date of the transaction, the name/title and as applicable, the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, interest rate and maturity date, the number of equity shares of, or the principal amount of debt represented by, and principal amount of each Reportable Security involved;
 
(ii)           The nature of the transaction, i.e., purchase, sale or other type of acquisition or disposition;
 
(iii)           The price at which the transaction in the Reportable Security was effected;
 
(iv)           The name of the broker, dealer, bank, or other institution with or through which the transaction was effected.
 
(b)           The name and address of any broker, dealer, bank, or other institution, such as a general partner of a limited partnership, or transfer agent of a company, that maintained any account in which any Securities were held during the quarter of which you have Beneficial Ownership, the account numbers and names of the persons for whom the accounts were held, and the date when each account was established.
 
 
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(c)           An executed statement, and a letter or other evidence, pursuant to which you have instructed each broker, dealer, bank, or other institution that has established a new account over which you have direct or indirect influence or control during the past quarter to provide duplicate account statements and confirmations of all Securities transactions to NeXt, unless NeXt indicates that the information is otherwise available to it.  The form of this statement is attached as Appendix IV and Appendix V hereto.
 
(d)           The date that you submitted the report.
 
***You need not submit a quarterly transaction report to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee if it would duplicate information contained in trade confirmations or account statements already received by the Chief Compliance Officer or designee, provided that those trade confirmations or statements are received not later than 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter in which the transaction takes place. ***
 
3.           Annual Employee Certification:  You must, no later than October 15 of each year, submit to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee an Annual Employee Certification, that is current as of a date no earlier than September 1 of the same calendar year (the “Annual Report Date”) and that contains:
 
(a)           The name and address of any broker, dealer, investment advisor or bank or other institution, such as a general partner of a limited partnership, or transfer agent of a company, that maintained any account holding any Securities for which you have Beneficial Ownership on the Annual Report Date, the account numbers and names of the persons for whom the accounts are held, and the date when each account was established.
 
(b)           A description of any private investments for which you have a Beneficial Ownership on the Annual Report Date, the principal amount of the investment, the approximate date of the acquisition, and whether the private investment involves or is associated with a company that has publicly trade debt or equity.
 
(c)           The date that you submitted the report.
 
Exception to requirement to list transactions or holdings subject to IV.2 and IV.3(a) above:  You are not required to submit (i) holdings or transactions reports for any account over which you had no direct or indirect influence or control (such as a fully discretionary managed account through a registered investment advisor) or (ii) transaction reports with respect to transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan, unless requested by NeXt.  You must still identify the existence of the account in your list of accounts.  Transactions that override pre-set schedules or allocations of an automatic investment plan or trades that are directed by you in a fully discretionary managed account, however, must be included in a quarterly transaction report.

4.           Please ask the Chief Compliance Officer if you have questions about the above-described disclosure and transaction reporting requirements.
 
 
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B.
Review of Reports and Other Documents
 
The Chief Compliance Officer or a designee of the Chief Compliance Officer will review each report submitted by Supervised Persons, and each account statement or confirmation from institutions that maintain their accounts, as promptly as practicable.  In any event all Initial Disclosure Reports will be reviewed within 20 business days of receipt, and the review of all timely-submitted Quarterly Transaction Reports will be completed by the end of the quarter in which received.  As part of his or her review, the Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee will confirm that all necessary pre-approvals have been obtained.  To ensure adequate scrutiny, documents concerning a member of the Compliance Office will be reviewed by a different member of the Compliance Office, or if there is only one member of the Compliance Office, by the Chief Financial Officer.
 
A report documenting the above review and any exceptions noted will be prepared by the Chief Compliance Officer and circulated to NeXt’s Management Committee within 60 days of the end of the quarter in which the reports were received.
 
Review of submitted holding and transaction reports will include not only an assessment of whether the Supervised Person followed all required procedures of this Code, such as preclearance, but may also:  compare the personal trading to any restricted lists; assess whether the Supervised Person is trading for his or her own account in the same securities he or she is trading for Clients, and, if so, whether the Clients are receiving terms as favorable as the Supervised Person receives; periodically analyze the Supervised Person’s trading for patterns that may indicate abuse, including market timing; investigate any substantial disparities between the quality of performance the Supervised Person achieves for his or her own account and that he or she achieves for Clients; and investigate any substantial disparities between the percentage of trades that are profitable when the Supervised Person trades for his or her own account and the percentage that are profitable when he or she places trades for Clients.
 
V.
POLICY ON GIFTS
 
A.           Supervised Persons may not accept gifts from any person in a single year with a value in excess of $100where such gift or gratuity is in relation to the business of NeXt.
 
B.           The Policy does not apply to gifts of de minimis value (e.g., pens, notepads, donuts, pizza, modest desk ornaments) or to promotional items of nominal value that display the person’s firm logo (e.g., umbrellas, tote bags, shirts).  De minimis gifts and promotional items must be substantially less than the $100 limit to fall within the exclusion.  Gifts valued in amounts greater than or near $25 would not be considered de minimis or nominal.
 
C.           Regardless of dollar value, Supervised Persons may not accept any gift or entertainment that is inappropriate under the circumstances, or inconsistent with applicable law or regulations, from any person or entity that does business, or desires to do business, with NeXt directly or on behalf of a Client.
 
D.           The Policy generally does not apply to personal gifts (e.g., wedding gifts), as long as the gifts are not “in relation to the business of NeXt”.  In determining whether a gift is “in relation to the business of NeXt”, NeXt employees should consider a number of factors, including the nature of any pre-existing personal or family relationship between the person giving the gift and the NeXt employee, and if known, whether the person giving the gift paid for the gift themselves or if the person’s company directly or indirectly paid for the gift.  When the person’s employer bears the cost of a gift, either directly or via a reimbursement, NeXt employees should presume that the gift is in relation to the business of NeXt.
 
 
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E.           Regardless of dollar value, Supervised Persons may not give a gift or provide entertainment that is inappropriate under the circumstances, or inconsistent with applicable law or regulations, to persons associated with securities or financial organizations, exchanges, member firms, commodity firms, news media, or Clients.  Supervised Persons should not give or receive gifts or entertainment that would be embarrassing to you or NeXt if made public.
 
F.           NeXt employees must report 1) the receipt or giving of all gifts (other than personal gifts and gifts of de minimis or nominal value, as defined above), and 2) the receipt of business entertainment in excess of $250 to the Chief Compliance Officer or designee.  All business entertainment with a value in excess of $500 must be pre-approved by the NeXt employee’s supervisor prior to accepting the business entertainment.
 
VI.
COMPLIANCE
 
 
A.
Certificate of Receipt
 
Supervised Persons are required to acknowledge receipt of the Compliance Manual and, therefore, your copy of this Code and that you have read and understood the Compliance Manual.  A form for this purpose is attached to this Code as Appendix I.
 
 
B.
Annual Certificate of Compliance
 
Supervised Persons are required to certify upon becoming a Supervised Person or the effective date of this Code, whichever occurs later, and annually thereafter, that you have read and understand this Code and recognize that you are subject to this Code.  Each annual certificate will also state that you have complied with all of the requirements of this Code during the prior year.
 
 
C.
Remedial Actions
 
If you violate this Code, including filing a late, inaccurate or incomplete holdings or transaction report, you will be subject to remedial actions, which may include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following:  (1) a warning; (2) disgorgement of profits; (3) imposition of a fine, which may be substantial; (4) demotion, which may be substantial; (5) suspension of employment, with or without pay; (6) termination of employment; or (7) referral to civil or governmental authorities for possible civil or criminal prosecution.  If you are normally eligible for a discretionary bonus, any violation of the Code may also reduce or eliminate the discretionary portion of your bonus.
 
 
A-13

 
 
VII.
RETENTION OF RECORDS
 
The Chief Compliance Officer will maintain, for a period of five years unless specified in further detail below, the records listed below. The records will be maintained at the Firm’s principal place of business for at least two years and in an easily accessible, but secured, place for the entire five years.
 
A.           A record of the names of persons who are currently, or within the past five years were, Access Persons of Adviser.
 
B.           The Annual Certificate of Compliance signed by all persons subject to this Code acknowledging receipt of copies of the Code and acknowledging they are subject to it and will comply with its terms.  All Annual Certificates of each Supervised Person must be kept for five years after the individual ceases to be a Supervised Person.
 
C.           A copy of each Code that has been in effect at any time during the five-year period.
 
D.           A copy of each report made by a Supervised Person pursuant to this Code, including any broker trade confirmations or account statements that were submitted in lieu of the persons’ quarterly transaction reports.
 
E.           A record of all known violations of the Code and of any actions taken as a result thereof, regardless of when the violations were committed.
 
F.           A record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition of securities by Supervised Persons, for at least five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval is granted.
 
G.           A record of all reports made by the Chief Compliance Officer related to this Code.
 
VIII.
NOTICES.
 
For purposes of this Code, all notices, reports, requests for clearance, questions, contacts, or other communications to the Chief Compliance Officer or the Chief Financial Officer will be considered delivered if given to the Chief Compliance Officer or the Chief Financial Officer, respectively.
 
IX.
REVIEW.
 
This Code will be reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer on an annual basis to ensure that it is meeting its objectives, is functioning fairly and effectively, and is not unduly burdensome to Adviser or Supervised Persons.  Supervised Persons are encouraged to contact the Chief Compliance Officer with any comments, questions or suggestions regarding implementation or improvement of the Code.
 
 
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Appendix I
 
NEXT
ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND CERTIFICATION
 
NEXT
COMPLIANCE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES MANUAL
 
I hereby certify to NeXt  that:

(1)           I have received and reviewed NeXt’s Compliance Policies and Procedures Manual (the “Compliance Manual”);
 
(2)           To the extent I had questions regarding any policy or procedure contained in the Compliance Manual, I received satisfactory answers to those questions from appropriate NeXt personnel;
 
(3)           I fully understand the policies and procedures contained in the Compliance Manual;
 
(4)           I understand and acknowledge that I am subject to the Compliance Manual;
 
(5)           I will comply with the policies and procedures contained in the Compliance Manual at all times during my association with NeXt, and agree that the Compliance Manual may, under certain circumstances, continue to apply to me subsequent to the termination of my association with NeXt.
 
(6)           I understand and acknowledge that if I violate any provision of the Compliance Manual,  I will be subject to remedial actions, which may include, but are not limited to, any one or more of the following: (a) a warning; (b) disgorgement of profits; (c) imposition of a fine, which may be substantial; (d) demotion, which may be substantial; (e) suspension of employment, with or without pay; (f) termination of employment; or (g) referral to civil or governmental authorities for possible civil or criminal prosecution.  I further understand that, to the extent I would otherwise be eligible for a discretionary bonus, if I violate the Compliance Manual this may reduce or eliminate the discretionary portion of my bonus.
 
Date:
       
 
Signature
     
     
 
Print Name
 
 
I-1

 
 
Appendix II
 
NEXT
INITIAL REPORT OF SECURITIES ACCOUNTS

In accordance with NeXt’s policies and procedures, please indicate whether you maintain securities accounts over which you have influence or control and/or in which any securities are held for which you have Beneficial Ownership1 (“Securities Accounts”).  Securities Accounts include accounts of any kind held at a broker, bank, investment advisor, or money manager.

o           I do maintain Securities Accounts.

o           I do not maintain Securities Accounts.

If you indicated above that you do maintain Securities Accounts, please (1) complete the Personal Trading Account and/or Related Trading Account letters of direction (enclosed), (2) provide the information in the following table (use additional paper if necessary), and (3) attach a copy of the most recent account statement listing holdings for each account identified below:

Account Name
 
Broker/Institution
Name
 
Account Number
 
Broker/Institution’s
Address
 
Is this account managed by a
3rd party (such as an
investment advisor) on a fully
discretionary basis in which
you do not direct any
transactions? (Yes/No)
                 
                 
                 

I certify that this form is accurate and complete, and I have attached statements (if any) for all of my Securities Accounts.
 
 
___________________________________
 
Signature
   
   
_____________________
___________________________________
Date
Print Name


1           You will be considered to have “Beneficial Ownership” in a Security if: (i) you have a Pecuniary Interest in the Security; (ii) you have voting power with respect to the Security, meaning the power to vote or direct the voting of the Security; or (iii) you have the power to dispose, or direct the disposition of, the Security.  You will be considered to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in a security if you, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, have the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the security. The term “Pecuniary Interest” is construed very broadly. The following examples illustrate this principle: (i) ordinarily, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities owned by members of your Immediate Family who share the same household with you; (ii) if you are a general partner of a general or limited partnership, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities held by the partnership; (iii) if you are a shareholder of a corporation or similar business entity, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all Securities held by the corporation if you are a controlling shareholder or have or share investment control over the corporation’s investment portfolio; (iv) if you have the right to acquire equity Securities through the exercise or conversion of a derivative Security, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in the Securities, whether or not your right is presently exercisable; (v) if you are the sole member or a manager of a limited liability company, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in the Securities held by the limited liability company; and (vi) ordinarily, if you are a trustee or beneficiary of a trust, where either you or members of your Immediate Family have a vested interest in the principal or income of the trust, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in all Securities held by that trust.
 
 
II-1

 
 
Appendix III
 
NEXT
 QUARTERLY BROKERAGE ACCOUNT
AND NON-BROKER TRANSACTION REPORT
 
Notes:
 
1.  Capitalized terms not defined in this report are defined in the Code of Ethics of NeXt (the “Code”).
 
2.  You must cause each broker-dealer that maintains an account over which you have influence or control and holds Securities for which you have Beneficial Ownership to provide to the Chief Compliance Officer, on a timely basis, duplicate copies of confirmations of all transactions in the account and duplicate statements for the account and you must report to the Chief Compliance Officer, within 30 days of the end of each calendar quarter, all transactions effected without the use of a registered broker-dealer in Securities, other than transactions in Non-Reportable Securities.
 
The undersigned has requested that you receive duplicate statements and confirmations on his or her behalf from the following brokers:
 
Name
 
Broker
 
Account Number
 
Date
 
Date Account
Opened
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 

The following are Securities transactions that have not been reported and/or executed through a broker-dealer, i.e. during the previous calendar quarter.
 
Date
 
Buy/Sell
 
Security Name
 
Amount
 
Price
 
Broker/Issuer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                     
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 

By signing this document, I am certifying that I have caused duplicate confirmations and duplicate statements to be sent to the Chief Compliance Officer of NeXt for every brokerage account that trades in Securities.
 
 
   
Date
 
Signature
  
 
III-1

 
 
1.
Transactions required to be reported.  You should report every transaction in which you acquired or disposed of any Security in which you had a Pecuniary Interest during the calendar quarter.  The term “beneficial ownership” is the subject of a long history of opinions and releases issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission and generally means that you would receive the benefits of owning a Security.  The term includes, but is not limited to the following cases and any other examples in the Code:
 
 
(A)
Where the Security is held for your benefit by others, such as brokers, custodians, banks and pledgees;
 
 
(B)
Where the Security is held for the benefit of members of your Immediate Family sharing the same household;
 
 
(C)
Where Securities are held by a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, investment club or other entity in which you have an equity interest if you are a controlling equityholder or you have or share investment control over the Securities held by the entity;
 
 
(D)
Where Securities are held in a trust for which you are a trustee and under which either you or any member of your Immediate Family have a vested interest in the principal or income; and
 
 
(E)
Where Securities are held in a trust for which you are the settlor, unless the consent of all of the beneficiaries is required in order for you to revoke the trust.
 
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the following transactions are not required to be reported:
 
 
(A)
Transactions in Securities which are direct obligations of the United States;
 
 
(B)
Transactions effected in any account over which you have no direct or indirect influence or control; or
 
 
(C)
Shares of registered open-end investment companies.
 
2.
Security Name.  State the name of the issuer and the class of the Security, e.g., common stock, preferred stock or designated issue of debt securities, including the interest rate, principal amount and maturity date, if applicable.  In the case of the acquisition or disposition of a futures contract, put, call option or other right, referred to as “options,” state the title of the Security subject to the option and the expiration date of the option.
 
3.
Futures Transactions.  Please remember that duplicates of all Confirmations, Purchase and Sale Reports, and month-end Statements must be sent to Adviser by your broker.  Please double check to be sure this occurs if you report a future transaction.
 
4.
Transaction Date.  In the case of a market transaction, state the trade date, not the settlement date.
 
 
III-2

 
 
5.
Nature of Transaction (Buy or Sale).  State the character of the transaction, e.g., purchase or sale of Security, purchase or sale of option, or exercise of option.
 
6.
Amount of Security Involved (No. of Shares).  State the number of shares of stock, the face amount of debt Securities or other units of other Securities.  For options, state the amount of Securities subject to the option.  If your ownership interest was through a spouse, relative or other natural person or through a partnership, trust, other entity, state the entire amount of Securities involved in the transaction.  In such cases, you may also indicate, if you wish, the extent of your interest in the transaction.
 
7.
Purchase or Sale Price.  State the purchase or sale price per share or other unit, exclusive of brokerage commissions or other costs of execution.  In the case of an option, state the price at which it is currently exercisable.  No price need be reported for transactions not involving cash.
 
8.
Broker, Dealer or Bank Effecting Transaction.  State the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected.
 
9.
Signature.  Sign the form in the space provided.
 
10.
Filing of Report.  This report should be filed NO LATER THAN 30 CALENDAR DAYS following the end of each calendar quarter.
  
 
III-3

 
 
Appendix IV
 
NEXT
PERSONAL TRADING ACCOUNT
LETTER OF DIRECTION

To Whom This May Concern:

I, ___________________________ (print name), currently maintain an investment account with your institution, and hereby request that duplicate trade confirmations and monthly account statements be disseminated to my employer, NeXt, at the following address:

Attn: Chief Compliance Officer
NeXt
2965 Woodside Road
Woodside, CA 94062

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you for your cooperation.

 
Sincerely,
 
       
 
NAME:
 
 
       
 
DATE:
 
 
       
 
PHONE:
   

 
 
IV-1

 

 
Appendix V

NEXT
RELATED TRADING ACCOUNT
LETTER OF DIRECTION

To Whom This May Concern:

I, ___________________________ (print your name), currently maintain an investment account with your institution.  Due to my relationship with ______________________ (print employee’s name), who is an employee of NeXt, I hereby request that duplicate trade confirmations and monthly account statements be disseminated to the following address:

Attn: Chief Compliance Officer
NeXt
2965 Woodside Road
Woodside, CA 94062

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you for your cooperation.

 
Sincerely,
 
       
 
NAME:
 
 
       
 
DATE:
 
 
       
 
PHONE:
   

 
 
V-1

 
 
Appendix VI
 
NEXT
INITIAL REPORT OF PRIVATE INVESTMENTS

In accordance with NeXt policies and procedures, please indicate whether you maintain private investments over which you have influence or control and in which any private investments are held for which you have a Beneficial Ownership.2  The term private investment is typically defined as an intangible investment and is very broadly construed by NeXt.  Examples of private investments may include equity in a business or company, a loan to a business or company, an investment in a hedge fund or limited partnership, or securities held in your home or in a safe deposit box.  Examples of investments that generally are not considered private investments are your primary residence, vacation home, automobiles, artwork, jewelry, antiques, stamps, and coins.

o           I do maintain private investments.

o           I do not maintain private investments.

If you indicated above that you do maintain private investments, please provide the information in the following table (use additional paper if necessary):

Description of Private Investment
 
Value of Private
Investment
 
Approximate
Acquisition Date
 
Does the private investment involve a
company that has publicly traded debt or
equity? (Yes/No)
             
             
             

I certify that this form and any attachments are accurate and complete and constitute all of my private investments.

 
 
 
Signature
   
 
 
 
Date
Print Name
   

1           You will be considered to have “Beneficial Ownership” in an investment if: (i) you have a Pecuniary Interest in the investment; (ii) you have voting power with respect to the investment, meaning the power to vote or direct the voting of the investment; or (iii) you have the power to dispose, or direct the disposition of, the investment.  You will be considered to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in an investment if you, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise, have the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the investment. The term “Pecuniary Interest” is construed very broadly. The following examples illustrate this principle: (i) ordinarily, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all investments owned by members of your Immediate Family who share the same household with you; (ii) if you are a general partner of a general or limited partnership, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all investments held by the partnership; (iii) if you are a shareholder of a corporation or similar business entity, you will be deemed to have a “Pecuniary Interest” in all investments held by the corporation if you are a controlling shareholder or have or share investment control over the corporation’s investment portfolio; (iv) if you have the right to acquire equity security through the exercise or conversion of a derivative investment, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in the investment, whether or not your right is presently exercisable; (v) if you are the sole member or a manager of a limited liability company, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in the investments held by the limited liability company; and (vi) ordinarily, if you are a trustee or beneficiary of a trust, where either you or members of your Immediate Family have a vested interest in the principal or income of the trust, you will be deemed to have a Pecuniary Interest in all investments held by that trust.
 
 
VI-1

 

 
Appendix VII

NEXT
INITIAL REPORT OF OUTSIDE BUSINESS ACTIVITIES

In accordance with NeXt policies and procedures, please indicate whether you engage in any outside business activities.  Outside business activities include, but are not limited to, serving as owner, partner, trustee, officer, director, finder, referrer, or employee of another business organization for compensation, or any activity for compensation outside my usual responsibilities at NeXt.3

o           I do engage in outside business activities

o           I do not engage in any outside business activities

If you indicated above that you do engage in outside business activities, please complete the following table (use additional paper if necessary):

Name of Business
Entity
 
Summary of Outside Business Activity
 
Summary of Compensation
 
Is the Business Entity
Related to a Publicly
Traded Company?
(Yes/No)
             
             
             

I certify that this form and any attachments are accurate and complete and constitute all of my outside business activities.

 
 
 
Signature
   
 
 
 
Date
Print Name
 

3
Compensation includes salaries, director’s fees, referral fees, stock options, finder’s fees, and anything of present or future value.
 
 
 

 
 
NEXT INNOVATION CORP.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON INSIDER TRADING

Introduction

It is illegal for any person, either personally or on behalf of others, to trade in securities on the basis of material, non-public information.  It is also illegal to communicate (or “tip”) material, non-public information to others who may trade in securities on the basis of that information.  These illegal activities are commonly referred to as “insider trading.”
 
Potential penalties for each insider trading violation include imprisonment for up to 10 years, civil fines of up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided by the trading, and criminal fines of up to $1 million.  In addition, a company whose director, officer or employee violates the insider trading prohibitions may be liable for a civil fine of up to the greater of $1 million or three times the profit gained or loss avoided as a result of the director, officer or employee’s insider trading violations.  Furthermore, engaging in short-term trading or other speculative transactions involving the securities of NeXt Innovation Corp. (the “Company”) may subject you to additional penalties.
 
Moreover, your failure to comply with the insider trading policy of the Company, as set forth herein, may subject you to sanctions imposed by the Company, including dismissal for cause, whether or not your failure to comply with this policy results in a violation of law.
 
This memorandum sets forth the Company’s policy against insider trading.  The objective of this policy is to protect both you and the Company from securities law violations, or even the appearance thereof.  All directors, officers and employees (including temporary employees) of the Company, and of each of its affiliates and subsidiaries, including its investment adviser NeXt Asset Management, LLC (the “Adviser”), must comply with this policy.

You are encouraged to ask questions and seek any follow-up information that you may require with respect to the matters set forth in this policy.  Please direct any questions you may have to the Company’s Chief Compliance Officer.
 
Statement of Policy

It is the policy of the Company that no director, officer or employee (including a temporary employee) of the Company, or of any of its affiliates or subsidiaries, including the Adviser, and any other persons designated by the Chief Compliance Officer, or this policy, as being subject to this policy (collectively, the “Covered Persons”):
 
·
who is aware of material, non-public information relating to the Company, may, directly or indirectly through family members or other persons or entities, (a) buy or sell securities of the Company (other than pursuant to a pre-approved trading plan that complies with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), or engage in any other action to take personal advantage of that information, or (b) pass that information on to others outside of the Company, including family and friends;
 
 
 

 
 
 
·
who, in the course of working for or on behalf of the Company, learns of material, non-public information about a company with which the Company does, or is proposing to do, business, including a customer or supplier of the Company, may trade in that company’s securities until the information becomes public or is no longer material; or
 
·
may engage in any transaction involving the Company’s securities (including any stock plan transaction, gift, loan or pledge or hedge, contribution to a trust, or any other transfer) without first obtaining pre-clearance approval of the transaction by emailing the Chief Compliance Officer.
As a Covered Person, you are subject to the foregoing restrictions and to the other terms of this policy.
Transactions that may be necessary or justifiable for independent reasons (such as the need to raise money for an emergency expenditure) are not excepted from the policy.  The securities laws do not recognize such mitigating circumstances, and, in any event, even the appearance of an improper transaction must be avoided to preserve the Company’s reputation for adhering to the highest standards of conduct.

What information is material?  All information that an investor might consider important in deciding whether to buy, sell, or hold securities is considered material.  Information that is likely to affect the price of a company’s securities is almost always material.  Examples of some types of material information are:
 
·
financial results or expectations for the quarter or the year;
 
·
financial forecasts;
 
·
changes in dividends;
 
·
possible mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other purchases and sales of companies and investments in companies;
 
·
changes in customer relationships with significant customers;
 
·
obtaining or losing important contracts;
 
·
important product developments;
 
·
major financing developments;
 
·
major personnel changes; and
 
·
major litigation developments.

What is non-public information?  Information is considered to be non-public unless it has been effectively disclosed to the public.  Examples of such public disclosure include public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and company press releases.  Not only must the information have been publicly disclosed, but there must also have been adequate time for the market as a whole to digest the information.  Although timing may vary depending upon the circumstances, a good rule of thumb is that information is considered non-public until the third business day after public disclosure.

What transactions are prohibited?  When you know material, non-public information about the Company, you, your spouse and members of your immediate family living in your household are prohibited from the following activities:
 
·
trading in the Company’s securities (including trading in puts and calls for the Company’s securities);
 
·
having others trade for you in the Company’s securities; and
 
·
disclosing the information to anyone else who might then trade.
Neither you nor anyone acting on your behalf nor anyone who learns the information from you (including your spouse and family members) can trade.  This prohibition continues whenever and for as long as you know material, non-public information, even following your termination of employment or other relationship with the Company.

Although it is most likely that any material, non-public information you might learn would be about the Company or its affiliates or subsidiaries, these prohibitions also apply to trading in the securities of any other company, including any portfolio company or potential merger partner, about which you have material, non-public information.

 
 
 

 

 
Transactions by Family Members.  As noted above, the Company’s insider trading policy applies to your family members who reside with you, anyone else who lives in your household, and any family members who do not live in your household but whose transactions in the Company’s securities are directed by you or are subject to your influence or control (such as parents or children who consult with you before they trade in the Company’s securities).  You are responsible for the transactions of these other persons and therefore should make them aware of the need to confer with you before they trade in the Company’s securities.

What is a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan?  Notwithstanding the prohibition against insider trading, Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and this policy permit a Covered Person to trade in the Company’s securities regardless of his or her awareness of inside information if the transaction is made pursuant to a pre-arranged trading plan that was entered into when the Covered Person was not in possession of material, non-public information.  This policy requires trading plans to be written and to specify the amount of, date on, and price at which the securities are to be traded or establish a formula for determining such items.  A Covered Person who wishes to enter into a trading plan must email the trading plan to the Chief Compliance Officer for his approval prior to the adoption of the trading plan, or any amendment of a previously adopted plan.  Further, trading plans may not be adopted when the Covered Person is in possession of material, non-public information about the Company.  A Covered Person may adopt, amend or replace his or her trading plan only during periods when trading is permitted in accordance with this policy.

Transactions Under Company Plans

Dividend Reinvestment Plan.  If you participate in the Company’s dividend reinvestment plan, this policy does not apply to purchases of the Company’s securities under that dividend reinvestment plan resulting from your automatic reinvestment of dividends paid on the Company’s securities.  However, your election to participate in the dividend reinvestment plan, or to increase your level of participation in the plan, would be subject to this policy, including its applicable black-out periods.  The policy also applies to your sale of any securities of the Company purchased pursuant to the plan.

Additional Prohibited Transactions

The Company considers it improper and inappropriate for any Covered Person to engage in short-term or speculative transactions in the Company’s securities.  It is therefore the Company’s policy that you may not engage in any of the following transactions:

Short-Term Trading.  Short-term trading of the Company’s securities by a director, officer or employee may be distracting to such person and may unduly focus such person on the Company’s short-term performance instead of the Company’s long-term business objectives.  For these reasons, if you purchase the Company’s securities in the open market, you may not sell any of the Company’s securities of the same class during the six months following such purchase.  In addition, Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 imposes short-swing profit restrictions on the purchase or sale of the Company’s securities by the Company’s officers and directors and certain other persons.

Short Sales. Short sales of the Company’s securities evidence an expectation on the part of the seller that the securities will decline in value, and therefore signal to the market that the seller has no confidence in the Company or its short-term prospects.  In addition, short sales may reduce the seller’s incentive to improve the Company’s performance.  For these reasons, you may not engage in short sales of the Company’s securities.   In addition, Section 16(c) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 prohibits officers and directors, and certain other persons, from engaging in short sales.
 
 
 

 
 
Publicly Traded Options.  A transaction in options, puts, calls or other derivative securities is, in effect, a bet on the short-term movement of the Company’s stock and therefore creates the appearance that a Covered Person is trading based on inside information.  Transactions of this sort also may unduly focus such person on the Company’s short-term performance instead of the Company’s long-term business objectives.  Accordingly, you may not enter into any transactions involving options, puts, calls or other derivative securities of the Company’s securities, on an exchange or in any other organized market.  (Option positions arising from certain types of hedging transactions are governed by the section below captioned “Hedging Transactions.”)

Hedging Transactions.  Certain forms of hedging or monetization transactions, such as zero-cost collars and forward sale contracts, allow a person to lock in much of the value of his or her stock holdings, often in exchange for all or part of the potential for upside appreciation in the stock.  These transactions allow the person to own the covered securities, but without the full risks and rewards of ownership.  When that occurs, the person may no longer have the same objectives as other shareholders.  Therefore, the Company strongly discourages any Covered Person from engaging in such transactions with respect to the Company’s securities.  In this regard, any person wishing to enter into such an arrangement must first pre-clear the proposed transaction with the Chief Compliance Officer.  Such request for pre-clearance of a hedging or similar arrangement must be received at least two weeks before the Covered Person intends to execute the documents in connection with the proposed transaction and must set forth the reason for the proposed transaction.

Margin Accounts and Pledges.  Securities held in a margin account may be sold by the broker without the customer’s consent if the customer fails to meet a margin call.  Similarly, securities pledged (or hypothecated) as collateral for a loan may be sold in foreclosure if the borrower defaults on the loan.  Therefore, because a margin sale or foreclosure sale may occur at a time when you are aware of material, non-public information or you are otherwise not permitted to trade in the Company’s securities, you are prohibited from holding the Company’s securities in a margin account or pledging the Company’s securities as collateral for a loan.  An exception to this prohibition may be granted where you wish to pledge the Company’s securities as collateral for a loan (not including margin debt) and clearly demonstrate the financial capacity to repay the loan without resort to the pledged securities.  In this regard, any person who wishes to pledge the Company’s securities as collateral for a loan must email a request for approval to the Chief Compliance Officer at least two weeks prior to the proposed execution of the documents evidencing the proposed pledge.

Post-Termination Transactions.  

The policy continues to apply to your transactions in the Company’s securities even after you have terminated employment.  If you are in possession of material, non-public information when your employment terminates, you may not trade in the Company’s securities until that information has become public or is no longer material.
 
 
 

 
 
Unauthorized Disclosure

As discussed above, the disclosure of material, non-public information to others can lead to significant legal difficulties.  Therefore, you should not discuss material, non-public information about the Company with anyone, including other employees, except as required in the performance of your regular duties. Also, it is important that only specifically designated representatives of the Company discuss the Company with the news media, securities analysts, and investors.  Inquiries of this type received by any employee should be referred to the Company’s investor relations contact.  Alternatively, such inquiries may be referred to the Chief Compliance Officer.

Pre-Clearance Procedures

 
To help prevent inadvertent violations of the federal securities laws and to avoid even the appearance of trading on inside information, Covered Persons, together with their immediate family members living in their households, may not engage in any transaction involving the Company’s securities (including any stock plan transaction, gift, loan or pledge or hedge, contribution to a trust, or any other transfer) without first obtaining pre-clearance of the transaction from the Chief Compliance Officer.

A request for pre-clearance should be emailed to the Chief Compliance Officer at least two business days in advance of the proposed transaction.  The Chief Compliance Officer is under no obligation to approve a trade submitted for pre-clearance, and may determine not to permit the trade.

As noted above, any person subject to the pre-clearance requirements who wishes to implement a trading plan under Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, must first pre-clear the plan with the Chief Compliance Officer.  As required by Rule 10b5-1, Covered Persons may enter into a trading plan only when they are not in possession of material non-public information.  In addition, Covered Persons may not enter into a trading plan during a blackout period.  Transactions effected pursuant to a pre-cleared trading plan will not require further pre-clearance at the time of the transaction if the plan specifies the dates, prices and amounts of the contemplated trades, or establishes a formula for determining the dates, prices and amounts.

Blackout Periods

Quarterly Blackout Periods.  The Company’s announcement of its quarterly financial results almost always has the potential to have a material effect on the market for the Company’s securities.  Therefore, you can anticipate that, to avoid even the appearance of trading while aware of material, non-public information, Covered Persons will not be pre-cleared to trade in the Company’s securities during the period beginning one week prior to the end of the Company’s fiscal quarter and ending after the second full business day following the Company’s issuance of its quarterly earnings release or analyst conference call.  All Covered Persons are subject to these quarterly blackout periods.

Event-specific Blackout Periods.  From time to time, an event may occur that is material to the Company and is known by only a few Covered Persons.  So long as the event remains material and non-public, no Covered Persons may trade in the Company’s securities.  This restriction applies regardless of whether such persons have actual knowledge of the material event in question.  The existence of an event-specific blackout will not be announced, other than to those who are aware of the event giving rise to the blackout.  If, however, a person whose trades are subject to pre-clearance requests permission to trade in the Company’s securities during an event-specific blackout, the Chief Compliance Officer will inform the requester of the existence of a blackout period, without disclosing the reason for the blackout.  Any person made aware of the existence of an event-specific blackout should not disclose the existence of the blackout to any other person.  The failure of the Chief Compliance Officer to designate a person as being subject to an event-specific blackout will not relieve that person of the obligation not to trade while aware of material, non-public information.
 
 
 

 

 
Hardship Exceptions.  A person who is subject to a quarterly earnings blackout period and who has an unexpected and urgent need to sell the Company’s stock in order to generate cash may, in appropriate circumstances, be permitted to sell such stock even during the blackout period.  Hardship exceptions may be granted only by the Chief Compliance Officer and must be requested at least two business days in advance of the proposed trade.  A hardship exception may be granted only if the Chief Compliance Officer concludes that the Company’s earnings information for the applicable quarter does not constitute material, non-public information.  Under no circumstance will a hardship exception be granted during an event-specific blackout period.

Questions about this Policy

Compliance by all Covered Persons with this policy is of the utmost importance both for you and for the Company.  If you have any questions about the application of this policy to any particular case, please immediately contact the Chief Compliance Officer.

Your failure to observe this policy could lead to significant legal problems, as well as other serious consequences, including termination of your employment.

Certifications

All Covered Persons must certify their understanding of, and intent to comply with, this policy.  A copy of the certification that all such persons must sign is attached to this policy.

 
 
 

 
 
Unassociated Document
 
[Letterhead of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP]

March 30, 2011

VIA EDGAR

Dominic Minore, Esq.
Senior Counsel
Division of Investment Management
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
100 F Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C.  20549

 
Re:
NeXt Innovation Corp.
   
Registration Statement on Form N-2, filed on January 7, 2010
   
File No. 333-171578

Dear Mr. Minore:

On behalf of NeXt Innovation Corp. (f/k/a Next BDC Capital Corp.)(the “Company”), set forth below is the Company’s response to the oral comments provided by the staff of the Division of Investment Management (the “Staff”) of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) to the Company on March 25, 2011 with respect to Amendment No. 1 to the Company’s registration statement on Form N-2 (File No. 333-171578), filed with the Commission on February 28, 2011 (the “Registration Statement”), and the prospectus included therein (the “Prospectus”).  The Staff’s comments are set forth below and are followed by the Company’s responses.  Where revisions to the Registration Statement or Prospectus are referenced in the Company’s responses set forth below, such revisions have been included in Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement, filed concurrently herewith.

1.
Please revise the cover page of the Prospectus to disclose both the aggregate and per share net proceeds to the Company, after deducting estimated offering expenses.

The Company has revised the cover page of the Prospectus in response to the Staff’s comment.
 
 
 

 
 
Dominic Minore, Esq.
March 30, 2011
Page 2

2.
In the final sentence of the paragraph immediately preceding the table of contents, please delete the reference to supplementing the Prospectus in the event of a material change to the information set forth therein.

The Company has revised the above-referenced sentence in response to the Staff’s comment.

Summary

3.
Please add a  page number to the “Risk Factors” cross-reference set forth in the first paragraph in the “Summary” section of the Prospectus.

The Company has revised the above-referenced paragraph in response to the Staff’s comment.

4.
Please revise the first three paragraphs in the “Summary” section of the Prospectus to present the text in non-italicized form.

The Company has revised the above-referenced paragraphs in response to the Staff’s comment.

5.
Please revise the last sentence in the third paragraph under the sub-heading “–NeXt Capital” to clarify that the companies to which you are referring are the ones your investment adviser will evaluate on your behalf, rather than companies with growth potential in general.

The Company has revised the above-referenced sentence in response to the Staff’s comment.

6.
Please revise the disclosure set forth under the sub-heading “–About NeXt Asset Management” to provide the individual years of investing experience of Messrs. Moe, Bard and Pampoulov, rather than stating  a combined number.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.

7.
Please revised the disclosure set forth in the penultimate sentence of the final paragraph under the sub-heading “–About NeXt Asset Management” to clarify that the Company’s management fee would be payable on both borrowings and any issuances of preferred stock.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.
 
 
 

 
 
Dominic Minore, Esq.
March 30, 2011
Page 3

Summary – Potential Competitive Advantages

8.
Please revise the bullet-point entitled “Detailed, transparent and repeatable investment process” to clarify, where appropriate, that investment process has not previously been implemented in the context of a business development company.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.

The Offering

9.
Please revise the disclosure under the sub-heading “–Leverage” to clarify, if true, that the Company will not issue preferred stock during the twelve months following completion of the offering.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.

Risk Factors

10.
Please revise the opening paragraph of the “Risk Factors” section of the Prospectus to present the text in non-italicized form.  In addition, please revise each of the risk factor headings to present them in non-italicized form.

The Company has revised the disclosure throughout the “Risk Factors” section of the Prospectus in response to the Staff’s comment.

11.
Please revise the second sentence in the opening paragraph of the “Risk Factors” section of the Prospectus to remove the phrase “we have identified.”  In addition, please revise the third sentence in the above-referenced paragraph to remove the phrase “or not presently deemed material to us.”

The Company has revised the above-referenced sentences in response to the Staff’s comment.

12.
Please revise the third sentence under the risk factor entitled “Our incentive fee may induce NeXt Asset Management to make speculative investments” to clarify that the Company will not use borrowings or other leverage during the twelve months following completion of the offering.

The Company has revised the above-referenced sentence in response to the Staff’s comment.
 
 
 

 
 
Dominic Minore, Esq.
March 30, 2011
Page 4

 
13.
Please revise the last sentence in the second paragraph under the risk factor entitled “Regulations governing our operation as a business development company …” to clarify that no lender will have any ability to approve any new investment objective or investment policies or strategies proposed by the Company.

The Company has removed the above-referenced sentence in response to the Staff’s comment.

14.
Please revise the heading for the risk factor entitled “Investors in this offering will incur dilution” to add the word “immediate.”

The Company has revised the above-referenced risk factor in response to the Staff’s comment.

Discussion of the Company’s Expected Operating Plans - Expenses

15.
Please confirm that all of the expenses listed in this section are reflected in the estimates set forth in the “Fees and Expenses” section of the Prospectus.

The Company confirms to the Staff that the estimates included in the “Fees and Expenses” section of the Prospectus reflect all of the expenses described under the sub-heading “Expenses” in the section of the Prospectus entitled “Discussion of the Company’s Expected Operating Plans” that the Company expects to incur during first year of operations following completion of its initial public offering.

16.
Please revise the disclosure set forth under the sub-heading “Expenses” to clarify that these expenses will ultimately be borne by the Company’s investors.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.

17.
We note your inclusion of disclosure regarding your accrual of an expense in the event that an incentive fee would be payable to the Company’s investment adviser in the event that the unrealized capital gains on the Company’s portfolio were to be realized.  Please revise such disclosure throughout the Prospectus to remove the word “generally” with respect to your accrual obligation in such circumstances.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure throughout the Prospectus in response to the Staff’s comment.

Discussion of the Company’s Expected Operating Plans – Financial Condition

18.
Please revise the disclosure in the second paragraph of this section to clarify, if true, that the Company will not issue preferred stock during the twelve months following completion of the offering.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.
 
 
 

 
Dominic Minore, Esq.
March 30, 2011
Page 5
 
19.
Please revise the disclosure in the second paragraph of this section to clarify, if true, that the Company has no present plans to issue additional shares of its common stock during the twelve months following completion of the offering.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.

Management

20.
Please revise the disclosure set forth under the sub-heading “–Interested Directors” to clarify Mr. Klein’s financial relationship with NeXt Asset Management.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in response to the Staff’s comment.

21.
Please revise the final sentence in each of the director biographies to clarify that the board of directors has concluded that such director is qualified to serve on the Company’s board of directors for the reasons set forth therein.

The Company has revised the above-referenced disclosure in each of the director biographies in response to the Staff’s comment.

Investment Advisory Agreement – Management Fees

22.
Please revise the final paragraph of this section to indicate that any accrual of incentive fees will be reflected in the Company’s calculation of its net asset value.

The Company has revised the above-referenced paragraph in response to the Staff’s comment.
 
 
 

 

 
Dominic Minore, Esq.
March 30, 2011
Page 6

*          *          *

If you have any questions or additional comments concerning the foregoing, please contact the undersigned at (202) 383-0176 or John J. Mahon at (202) 383-0515.

 
Sincerely,
   
 
/s/ Steven B. Boehm
   
 
Steven B. Boehm

cc:
Michael T. Moe / NeXt Innovation Corp.
John Mahon / Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP