Hercules Capital
Public BDC providing venture debt to growth companies.
Available information varies by company and source.
Profile record updated:
Company facts
- Official name
- Hercules Capital, Inc.
- Entity type
- COMPANY
- Founded
- 2003
- Headquarters
- 400 Hamilton Avenue, Suite 310, Palo Alto, CA 94301
- Company size
- 50–200
- Ticker
- HTGC
- Official website
- htgc.com
What Hercules Capital does
Hercules Capital raises capital as a publicly traded business development company and deploys that capital into senior secured loans for venture-backed companies. It creates value by underwriting specialised credit for borrowers that are often underserved by conventional banks, particularly in technology and life sciences. Returns are produced through contractual loan yield, origination and related fees, and selective equity-linked upside such as warrants tied to portfolio companies.
Category differentiation
Hercules Capital is a public venture-lending and specialty finance company, not a venture capital software platform or a media business. It provides debt capital to companies rather than selling advertising, SaaS or consumer products.
Strategic context
AI-supported assessment from the existing company research; distinguish interpretation from sourced facts.
Hercules Capital, Inc. is a US-listed business development company and specialty finance provider that supplies senior secured venture growth loans to venture-backed companies, with a stated focus on technology and life sciences. It operates as a capital provider rather than a software or media business, serving growth-stage businesses that need non-dilutive financing alongside equity backing. The company generates revenue primarily from interest income and lending-related fees on its debt portfolio, with additional upside from warrant and investment positions associated with financed companies. Its direct customers are venture-backed businesses and their sponsors, not consumers. As a listed BDC, its operating model depends on disciplined underwriting, portfolio performance, access to capital markets and compliance with investment-company leverage rules.
Business model & monetisation
The company monetises through interest income on senior secured loans, upfront and ongoing lending fees, and occasional equity-linked gains such as warrants or investment exits connected to financed borrowers. Its commercial model is balance-sheet lending rather than SaaS subscription, advertising or transactional marketplace take rates.
- Interest income from senior secured loans
- Lending yield
- Origination and other lending-related fees
- Service Fee
- Warrant and equity-linked gains
- Investment upside
- Prepayment or amendment-related economics
- Contractual fee income
Products & capabilities
No products with linked sources are available in this view.
Recent recorded signals
Dates refer to the source publication. Older entries are historical context, not evidence of a new event.
Hercules Capital Announces the Appointment of Alfred B. Fichera to Its Board of Directors
Recorded impact score: 4/5
New press releases added: appointment of Alfred B. Fichera to the Board of Directors (Sep 17, 2026), investment adviser surpasses $2.3 billion in investable capital (Sep 09, 2026), and BBB+ affirmed investment grade rating from Kroll (Aug 19, 2026).
Hercules Capital’s Investment Adviser Surpasses $2.3 Billion in Investable Capital
Recorded impact score: 3.5/5
Hercules Capital's investment adviser surpasses $2.3 billion in investable capital, and the company receives a BBB+ affirmed investment grade corporate and credit rating from Kroll Bond Rating Agency.
Hercules Capital Receives a BBB+ Affirmed Investment Grade Corporate and Credit Rating from Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc.
Recorded impact score: 4/5
Hercules Capital Receives a BBB+ Affirmed Investment Grade Corporate and Credit Rating from Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc.
Explore company relationships
Questions about Hercules Capital
What is Hercules Capital?
Hercules Capital is a publicly listed business development company that provides senior secured venture growth loans to venture-backed technology and life sciences companies.
Who uses Hercules Capital?
Its customers are venture-backed businesses, management teams and financial sponsors seeking non-dilutive growth financing.
How does Hercules Capital make money?
It earns revenue primarily from interest income on loans, lending-related fees and selective warrant or investment upside linked to portfolio companies.
Sources & coverage
This profile uses public, official and technically observable information. Missing information does not prove that a product or relationship does not exist. The list below does not imply that every profile statement has been verified.
5 publicly documented primary sources and citations linked across the market graph.
Continue your research on Hercules Capital
Explorer includes additional company details, a Watchlist for up to 25 companies and your personal Strategic Intelligence Agent. It monitors your market daily and delivers tailored briefings with clear strategic context whenever relevant news occurs.
Free, with no time limit.