TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC

TPVG
Financial Analysis · Updated May 29, 2026 · Coverage 2026-Q2
Latest Q Revenue
$25M
Q3 2024
TTM ROIC
14.4%
FY2023 · NII / Average Net Assets (BDC equivalent operating return)
Net Debt
$400M
Cash $20M · Debt $420M · FY2023
Diluted Shares
33M
FY2024E · -0.3% (buyback)

Business Overview


source: coverage-next-full | ticker: TPVG | step: "01" | created: 2026-05-29

Step 01 — Business Overview: TPVG (TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp.)

Executive Summary

TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC Corp. (NYSE: TPVG) is a specialty finance company that has elected to be regulated as a Business Development Company (BDC) under the Investment Company Act of 1940. TPVG is externally managed by TriplePoint Capital LLC, a leading venture lending firm founded in 2012 by Jim Labe and Sajal Srivastava — the same team that previously built the venture lending practice at Lighthouse Capital Partners and then at Comerica Bank's venture lending division.

The core value proposition: TPVG provides debt capital (primarily term loans) to venture-backed, growth-stage technology and life science companies that are pre-profitability and therefore unable to access traditional bank financing or capital markets. In exchange, TPVG earns premium interest rates (typically 11–15% cash + 1–3% PIK) and receives equity "kickers" in the form of warrants on borrower stock — providing participation in equity upside if a portfolio company achieves a successful exit (IPO or M&A).

What Makes TPVG Unique Among BDCs

TPVG is a pure-play venture lending BDC — the only publicly traded BDC almost exclusively focused on VC-backed growth-stage companies. This contrasts with:

  • Hercules Capital (HTGC): Similar strategy but broader sector coverage, larger scale (~$4B assets vs. TPVG ~$800M–$1B), and internally managed (cost advantage)
  • Traditional BDCs (ARCC, MAIN, GBDC): Middle market lending to profitable companies; lower yield but lower credit risk
  • Silicon Valley Bank (SIVB): Was the dominant venture lending bank; its March 2023 collapse removed a major competitor and briefly created significant opportunity for TPVG/HTGC

Business Model

Revenue Generation
  1. Interest Income (~85–90% of revenue): Floating rate loans (SOFR/Prime + spread) plus fixed floors, generating 12–16% gross yields on the debt portfolio
  2. Fee Income (~5–8%): Origination fees, prepayment fees, end-of-term (EOT) payments
  3. Dividend/Equity Income (<5%): From equity co-investments alongside debt
  4. Warrant Gains (variable): Fair value adjustments and realized gains on warrants received at origination; highly lumpy and dependent on portfolio company exits
The Venture Lending Thesis
  • VC-backed companies have strong institutional sponsors (Sequoia, a16z, Benchmark, etc.) with incentive to support companies through difficulty
  • Loan-to-value ratios are implicitly low because enterprise value of growth companies often far exceeds outstanding venture debt
  • Warrants provide a "free" equity kicker: TPVG receives warrants for 1–5% of a borrower's fully diluted equity at the time of lending
  • Post-money valuations from VC rounds provide reference points for NAV marks

Headquarters & Personnel

  • HQ: 2755 Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, CA 94025 (Silicon Valley heartland; same road as Sequoia, KKR, KPCB, etc.)
  • Investment Manager: TriplePoint Capital LLC (external manager — NOT employees of TPVG)
  • CEO: James P. Labe — co-founder of TriplePoint Capital; previously built venture lending at Lighthouse Capital Partners (1997–2006) and Comerica (2006–2012). Widely regarded as one of the original architects of institutional venture lending
  • President/COO: Sajal Srivastava — co-founder; former president of venture banking at Lighthouse Capital; Stanford MBA

Portfolio Characteristics

Characteristic Typical Range
Number of Portfolio Companies 30–55 active
Loan Size per Company $5M–$50M
Loan Tenor 24–48 months
Interest Rate SOFR + 700–1,000 bps (typically 11–15% all-in)
PIK Component 0–3%
Warrant Coverage 1–5% of fully diluted equity
Industries Technology (SaaS, fintech, marketplace), life sciences, consumer
Geography ~95% US; small amount of international VC-backed companies

Investment Selection Criteria

TPVG/TriplePoint Capital targets companies that:

  1. Are backed by top-tier VC firms (Tier 1 sponsors)
  2. Have achieved product-market fit and are in growth/scale phase
  3. Have 12–18 months of cash runway remaining after the loan
  4. Have a clear path to a liquidity event (IPO, strategic M&A, or next VC round)
  5. Operate in sectors with strong secular tailwinds

IPO History & Capital Structure

  • IPO: March 5, 2014 at $15.00/share; raised approximately $90M
  • Total shares outstanding (2024): ~33–35 million
  • Market cap (2024): ~$300–$400M depending on share price
  • Total net assets (NAV): ~$430–$460M at peak; declined to ~$400M range by 2024
  • External borrowings: Senior secured notes, revolving credit facility — targeting 0.8–1.0x debt/equity

Key Differentiators vs. HTGC

Factor TPVG HTGC
Management External (fee conflicts) Internal (aligned)
AUM ~$800M–$1B ~$3.5B–$4B
Diversification Narrower (pure venture) Broader (life sci, tech, sustainable)
Track record Shorter (2014 IPO) Longer (2005 IPO)
NAV stability More volatile More stable
Yield Similar Similar
P/NAV Typically lower Typically closer to 1x

Financial Snapshot


source: coverage-next-full | ticker: TPVG | step: "04" | created: 2026-05-29

Step 04 — Financial Snapshot: TPVG (FY2021–FY2024)

Key Financial Summary — Annual

Metric FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024E
Total Investment Income ($M) ~$85M ~$105M ~$115M ~$100M
Net Investment Income ($M) ~$52M ~$64M ~$65M ~$56M
NII per Share ~$1.56 ~$1.95 ~$1.97 ~$1.65
Net Increase in Net Assets ($M) ~$55M -~$75M -~$60M -~$30M
Total Dividends Declared per Share $1.44 $1.44 $1.56 $1.44
Net Asset Value per Share ~$15.00 ~$13.25 ~$12.50 ~$12.00
Total Net Assets ($M) ~$494M ~$437M ~$410M ~$393M
Total Investments at Fair Value ($M) ~$940M ~$970M ~$820M ~$760M
Debt/Equity Ratio ~0.92x ~1.04x ~0.88x ~0.80x
Shares Outstanding (M) ~33.0 ~33.0 ~32.8 ~32.7

Note: FY2024E figures are estimates based on available quarterly data and management guidance. Exact figures subject to final 10-K filing.

NAV Per Share Trajectory — The Central Concern

NAV/share is the most important metric for BDC investors. TPVG's NAV/share has exhibited a structurally declining trend:

Period NAV/Share Quarterly Change Driver
Q4 2020 ~$14.50 COVID recovery
Q4 2021 ~$15.00 +3.4% VC boom; warrant appreciation
Q1 2022 ~$14.50 -3.3% Tech selloff; initial marks
Q2 2022 ~$14.00 -3.4% Continued VC valuation pressure
Q3 2022 ~$13.50 -3.6% Portfolio write-downs accelerate
Q4 2022 ~$13.25 -1.9% Non-accruals rising
Q1 2023 ~$13.00 -1.9% SVB crisis; sector stress
Q2 2023 ~$12.75 -1.9% Elevated non-accruals
Q3 2023 ~$12.50 -2.0% Realized losses from failures
Q4 2023 ~$12.50 flat Stabilization
Q1 2024 ~$12.25 -2.0% Continued mild pressure
Q2 2024 ~$12.00 -2.0% Slow recovery trajectory
Q3 2024 ~$12.00 flat Signs of stabilization
Q4 2024E ~$12.00 flat Stable

Key observation: TPVG has eroded approximately $3.00/share (~20%) in NAV since peak. This represents permanent capital loss not reflected in income statement performance alone.

Net Investment Income vs. Dividends — Coverage Analysis

Year NII/Share DPS Declared Coverage Ratio Status
2021 ~$1.56 $1.44 108% Covered; building spillover
2022 ~$1.95 $1.44 135% Well covered; benefit of rising rates
2023 ~$1.97 $1.56 126% Well covered; dividend raised in 2023
2024E ~$1.65 $1.44 115% Still covered but tightening

Dividend history:

  • 2014–2019: $1.44/share annual ($0.36/quarter) — paid quarterly
  • 2020 (COVID): Dividend cut from $0.36 → $0.31/quarter
  • 2021 recovery: Returned to $0.36/quarter ($1.44/year)
  • 2023: Increased to $0.39/quarter (+ special dividends in some quarters)
  • 2024: Returned to $0.36/quarter as portfolio income declined with portfolio payoffs

TPVG adopted a monthly dividend structure in later years ($0.12–$0.13/month) to better match BDC cash flow patterns.

Income Statement Detail (FY2023 — Most Recent Full Year)

Line Item Amount
Interest income (cash) ~$95M
PIK interest income ~$8M
Fee income ~$10M
Dividend income ~$2M
Total Investment Income ~$115M
Management fees (base) (~$17M)
Incentive fees (Part 1) (~$9M)
Interest and debt fees (~$20M)
Other operating expenses (~$4M)
Total Expenses (~$50M)
Net Investment Income ~$65M
Net realized losses (~$35M)
Net change in unrealized (~$25M)
Net Decrease in Net Assets (~$60M)

Balance Sheet Snapshot (FY2023)

Item Amount
Total investments at fair value ~$820M
Cash and equivalents ~$20M
Other assets ~$5M
Total Assets ~$845M
Senior secured notes (public) ~$180M
Revolving credit facility ~$240M
Other liabilities ~$15M
Total Liabilities ~$435M
Net Assets (NAV) ~$410M
Shares outstanding ~32.8M
NAV per Share ~$12.50

Portfolio Quality Metrics

Metric FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024E
Non-accrual loans (% fair value) ~1.5% ~3.0% ~5.5% ~6.0%
Non-accrual loans (% cost) ~2.0% ~4.5% ~8.0% ~8.5%
Number of portfolio companies ~50 ~55 ~48 ~42
New commitments ($M) ~$650M ~$700M ~$400M ~$350M
Portfolio repayments ($M) ~$450M ~$580M ~$550M ~$380M

Valuation Context

Metric Historical Range Current (2024)
Price / NAV 0.7x – 1.1x ~0.80–0.90x
Dividend Yield 7% – 14% ~10–12%
P/NII 7x – 12x ~8–9x

Trading at a discount to NAV is normal for BDCs facing elevated credit stress. TPVG has consistently traded below HTGC's premium, reflecting the external management fee structure and higher portfolio risk perception.

Key Financial Risks to Track

  1. NAV erosion: The $3/share decline since 2021 peak is permanent capital loss — not cyclical
  2. Non-accrual creep: Every 1% increase in non-accrual rate costs ~$8–$10M in foregone annual income
  3. Leverage headroom: At 0.8–1.0x debt/equity, TPVG has limited ability to grow without dilutive equity issuance
  4. Dividend sustainability: NII coverage has improved with rising rates but could fall if portfolio shrinks or rates decline
  5. Fair value volatility: Mark-to-market adjustments on Level 3 assets can cause large quarter-to-quarter NAV swings

Deeper Financial Analysis

The fundamental tier adds 9 additional research dimensions for $TPVG.

Revenue Breakdown
Segment revenue, geographic mix, product-line contribution margins, and cohort dynamics.
Financial Trends
Quarter-over-quarter momentum, leading indicators, and inflection point analysis.
Balance Sheet
Debt structure, liquidity runway, dilution risk, and working capital dynamics.
Capital Allocation
Buyback cadence, M&A appetite, dividend policy, and reinvestment priorities.
Returns on Capital (ROIC)
Multi-year ROIC vs. WACC, marginal returns on reinvestment, sales-to-invested-capital efficiency, and moat spread.
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TriplePoint Venture Growth BDC (TPVG) — Financial Analysis | Margin of Insight