Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
  Registration No. 333-288252

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
(To Prospectus Dated August 6, 2025)

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$100,000,000

STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION

Common stock

We are an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). Our investment objective is to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation. The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, and, in most cases, our investments in such companies will not be rated by national rating agencies. If such investments were rated, we believe that they would likely receive a rating below investment grade (i.e., below BBB or Baa), which are often referred to as “junk.” Stellus Capital Management, LLC serves as our investment adviser (the “Investment Adviser”) and as our administrator.

We have entered into an equity distribution agreement, dated September 9, 2025 (the “Equity Distribution Agreement”), with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (each a “Sales Agent” and collectively. the “Sales Agents”), relating to the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The Equity Distribution Agreement provides that we may offer and sell up to $100,000,000 of shares of our common stock from time to time through the Sales Agents. Sales of shares of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be made in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be “at the market,” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), including, without limitation, sales made directly on or through the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) or similar securities exchanges or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange, at prices related to the prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices, but not at prices below our then current net asset value (“NAV”) per share. Our Investment Adviser may, from time to time, in its sole discretion, pay some or each of the Sales Agents’ commission in order to ensure that the sales price per share of our common stock in connection with all of the offerings made hereunder will not be less than our then-current NAV per share. Any such payments made by the Investment Adviser will not be subject to reimbursement by us.

We previously entered into an equity distribution agreement (the “2023 Equity Distribution Agreement”) on August 11, 2023 with the Sales Agents, pursuant to which we issued and sold up to $100,000,000 of shares of our common stock. Upon execution of the Equity Distribution Agreement, we no longer sold any shares under the 2023 Equity Distribution Agreement.

Under the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Sales Agents will receive a commission from us equal to 1.5% of the gross sales price of any shares of our common stock sold through the Sales Agents under the Equity Distribution Agreement. The Sales Agents are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of common stock, but will use their commercially reasonable efforts consistent with their sales and trading practices to sell the shares of our common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol “SCM.” On September 5, 2025, the official close price of our common stock on the NYSE was $14.80 per share. The NAV per share of our common stock at June 30, 2025 (the last date prior to the date of this prospectus supplement on which we determined NAV) was $13.21.

Shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount to their NAV. If our shares trade at a discount to our NAV, it will likely increase the risk of loss for purchasers in this offering. 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 then-current net asset value per share of our common stock if our board of directors determines that such sale is in our best interests, and if our stockholders approve such sale. At our 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders voted to allow us to issue common stock at a price below net asset value per share for the period ending on the earlier of the one-year anniversary of the date of our 2025 annual meeting of stockholders and the date of our 2026 annual meeting of stockholders. The latest the authorization will expire is June 17, 2026. The proposal approved by our stockholders did not specify a maximum discount below net asset value at which we are able to issue our common stock, although the number of shares sold in each offering may not exceed 25% of our outstanding common stock immediately prior to such sale. In addition, we cannot issue shares of our common stock below net asset value unless our board of directors determines that it would be in our and our stockholders’ best interests to do so. Sales of common stock at prices below net asset value per share dilute the interests of existing stockholders, have the effect of reducing our net asset value per share and may reduce our market price per share. In addition, continuous sales of common stock below net asset value may have a negative impact on total returns and could have a negative impact on the market price of our shares of common stock. See “Sales of Common Stock Below Net Asset Value” in the accompanying prospectus.

Investing in our common stock involves risks. Before making a decision to invest in our common stock, you should carefully consider the matters discussed under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 of the accompanying prospectus and in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as any of our subsequent SEC filings.

This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, any free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus contain important information you should know before investing in our common stock, including information about risks. Please read these documents before you invest and retain them for future reference. Additional information about us, including our annual, quarterly and current reports and proxy statements, has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), and can be accessed free of charge at its website at www.sec.gov. This information is also available free of charge by contacting us at 4400 Post Oak Parkway, Suite 2200, Houston, TX 77027, Attention: Investor Relations, by emailing us at info@stelluscapital.com, by calling us collect at (713) 292-5400 or on our website at www.stelluscapital.com (under the Public Investors section), which, except for the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, is not part of this prospectus supplement nor the accompanying prospectus. See “Available Information” on page 95 of the accompanying prospectus.

Neither the SEC nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

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The date of this prospectus supplement is September 9, 2025

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

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PROSPECTUS

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

This document is in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which describes the specific details regarding this offering of our common stock and also adds to and updates information contained in the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which provides general information about us and the securities we may offer from time to time, some of which may not apply to this offering. To the extent the information contained in this prospectus supplement differs from the information contained in the accompanying prospectus or the information included in any document filed prior to the date of this prospectus supplement and incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, the information in this prospectus supplement shall control. Generally, when we refer to this “prospectus,” we are referring to both this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus combined, together with any free writing prospectus that we have authorized for use in connection with this offering.

This prospectus supplement includes summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described in this prospectus supplement, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed, will be filed, or will be incorporated by reference, as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described in the section titled “Available Information” in the accompanying prospectus.

YOU SHOULD RELY ONLY ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND THE ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS, INCLUDING THE DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE HEREIN AND THEREIN, AND ANY FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS PREPARED BY, OR ON BEHALF OF, US THAT RELATES TO THIS OFFERING OF THE COMMON STOCK. WE HAVE NOT, AND THE SALES AGENTS HAVE NOT, AUTHORIZED ANY OTHER PERSON TO PROVIDE YOU WITH DIFFERENT OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. IF ANYONE PROVIDES YOU WITH DIFFERENT OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON IT. WE ARE NOT, AND THE SALES AGENTS ARE NOT, MAKING AN OFFER TO SELL COMMON STOCK IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE THE OFFER OR SALE IS NOT PERMITTED. YOU SHOULD ASSUME THAT THE INFORMATION APPEARING IN THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT AND THE ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS, INCLUDING THE DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE HEREIN AND THEREIN, AND ANY FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS PREPARED BY OR ON BEHALF OF US THAT RELATES TO THIS OFFERING OF COMMON STOCK IS ACCURATE ONLY AS OF ITS RESPECTIVE DATE, REGARDLESS OF THE TIME OF DELIVERY OF THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT, THE ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS, ANY FREE WRITING PROSPECTUS OR ANY SALES OF OUR COMMON STOCK. OUR BUSINESS, FINANCIAL CONDITION, RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND PROSPECTS MAY HAVE CHANGED SINCE THOSE DATES.

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PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT SUMMARY

The following summary highlights some of the information included elsewhere, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus. It is not complete and may not contain all the information that you should consider before making your investment decision regarding the common stock offered hereby. To understand the terms of the common stock offered hereby before making your investment decision, you should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, including the documents incorporated by reference herein or therein, and any free writing prospectus related to this offering, including “Risk Factors,” “Incorporation by Reference,” and “Use of Proceeds” and the financial statements contained elsewhere or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Together, these documents describe the specific terms of the common stock we are offering.

Except as otherwise indicated, the terms “we,” “us,” “our,” and the “Company” refer to Stellus Capital Investment Corporation and our consolidated subsidiaries; and “Stellus Capital Management” and the “Investment Adviser” refer to our investment adviser and administrator, Stellus Capital Management, LLC.

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation

We are an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”), under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We originate and invest primarily in privately held lower middle-market companies (typically those with $5.0 million to $50.0 million of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)) with a focus on investing through first lien (including unitranche) loans, often with a corresponding equity investment. Unitranche structures may combine characteristics of first lien senior secured as well as second lien and/or subordinated loans and our unitranche loans will expose us to the risks associated with second lien and subordinated loans to the extent we invest in the “last-out” tranche.

Our investment activities are managed by our investment adviser, Stellus Capital Management, an investment advisory firm led by Robert T. Ladd and its other senior investment professionals. We source investments primarily through the extensive network of relationships that the principals of Stellus Capital Management have developed with financial sponsor firms, financial institutions, lower middle-market companies, management teams and other professional intermediaries. The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, and, in most cases, our investments in such companies will not be rated by national rating agencies. If such investments were rated, we believe that they would likely receive a rating that is often referred to as “junk.”

SBIC Licenses

Stellus Capital SBIC, LP (“SBIC subsidiary”) and Stellus Capital SBIC II, LP (“SBIC II subsidiary” and together with SBIC subsidiary, the “SBIC subsidiaries”) are our two wholly owned subsidiaries that each hold a license to operate as a small business investment company (“SBIC”). The SBIC licenses allow the SBIC subsidiaries to obtain leverage by issuing SBA-guaranteed debentures, subject to the issuance of a capital commitment by the Small Business Administration (the “SBA”) and other customary procedures. SBA-guaranteed debentures are non-recourse, interest only debentures with interest payable semi-annually and have a ten year maturity. The principal amount of SBA-guaranteed debentures is not required to be paid prior to maturity but may be prepaid at any time without penalty. The interest rate of SBA-guaranteed debentures is fixed on a semi-annual basis at a market-driven spread over U.S. Treasury Notes with 10-year maturities. The SBA, as a creditor, will have a superior claim to the SBIC subsidiaries’ assets over the Company’s stockholders in the event the Company liquidates one or both of the SBIC subsidiaries or the SBA exercises its remedies under the SBA-guaranteed debentures issued by the SBIC subsidiaries upon an event of default. For the SBIC subsidiary, SBA regulations limit the amount that a single licensee may borrow to a maximum of $150.0 million when it has at least $75.0 million in regulatory capital, as such term is defined by the SBA, receives a capital commitment from the SBA and has been through an examination by the SBA subsequent to licensing. For the SBIC II subsidiary, SBA regulations limit these amounts for two SBICs to an aggregate of $175.0 million of borrowings when it has an aggregate of at least $87.5 million of regulatory capital. As of September 9, 2025, the total consolidated balance of SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding was $299.0 million.

Corporate Information

Our principal executive offices are located at 4400 Post Oak Parkway, Suite 2200, Houston, TX 77027, and our telephone number is (713) 292-5400.

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THE OFFERING

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FEES AND EXPENSES

The following table is intended to assist you in understanding the costs and expenses that an investor in our common stock will bear directly or indirectly. We caution you that some of the percentages indicated in the table below are estimates and may vary. Moreover, the information set forth below does not include any transaction costs and expenses that investors will incur in connection with each offering of our securities pursuant to this prospectus supplement. Except where the context suggests otherwise, whenever this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus contains a reference to fees or expenses paid by “us” or that “we” will pay fees or expenses, common stockholders will indirectly bear such fees or expenses.

Example

The following example demonstrates the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses over various periods with respect to a hypothetical investment in our common stock. In calculating the following expense amounts, we have assumed we would have no additional leverage, that none of our assets are cash or cash equivalents, that our annual operating expenses would remain at the levels set forth in the table above. The stockholder transaction expenses described above are included in the following example.

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The above table is designed to assist you in understanding the various costs and expenses that an investor in our common stock will bear directly or indirectly. While the example assumes, as required by the SEC, a 5% annual return, our performance will vary and may result in a return greater or less than 5%. The incentive fee under the Investment Advisory Agreement, which, assuming a 5% annual return, would either not be payable or would have a de minimis effect, is not included in the example. If we achieve sufficient returns on our investments, including through the realization of capital gains, to trigger an incentive fee of a material amount, our expenses, and returns to our investors, would be higher. For example, if we assumed that we received our 5.0% annual return completely in the form of net realized capital gains on our investments, which results in a capital gains incentive fee earned, the projected dollar amount of total cumulative expenses set forth in the above illustration and the capital gains incentive fee would be as follows:

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While the examples assume reinvestment of all distributions at NAV, 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 distribution payable to a participant by (a) 95% of the market price per share of our common stock at the close of trading on the payment date fixed by our board of directors or (b) the average purchase price of all shares of common stock purchased by the administrator of the dividend reinvestment plan in the event shares are purchased in the open market to satisfy the share requirements of the dividend reinvestment plan, which may be at, above or below NAV.

These examples and the expenses in the table above should not be considered a representation of our future expenses, and actual expenses (including the cost of debt, if any, and other expenses) may be greater or less than those shown.

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and in any free writing prospectus relating to this offering of shares of common stock may contain “forward-looking statements.” These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about us, our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs, and our assumptions. 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. Important assumptions include our ability to originate new loans and investments, certain margins and levels of profitability and the availability of additional capital. 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. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “should,” “targets,” “projects” and variations of these words and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus, and in any free writing prospectus relating to this offering of shares of common stock involve risks and uncertainties, including statements as to:

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, those risks, uncertainties and other factors we identify under “Risk Factors” in the accompanying prospectus and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and in our other filings with the SEC.

We caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in our forward-looking statements, and future results could differ materially from our historical performance. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date of this prospectus supplement. Although we undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, you are advised to consult any additional disclosures that we may make directly to you or through reports or other documents we have filed, or in the future may file, with the SEC, including subsequent Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Sales of shares of our common stock, if any, under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be made in negotiated transactions or transactions that are deemed to be “at the market,” as defined in Rule 415 under the Securities Act, including sales made directly on or through NYSE or sales made to or through a market maker other than on an exchange. There is no guarantee that there will be any sales of shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Actual sales, if any, of shares of our common stock under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be less than as set forth in this paragraph depending on the market price of our common stock at the time of any such sale. As a result, the actual net proceeds we receive, if any, may be more or less than the amount of net proceeds estimated in this prospectus supplement. However, the sales price per share of our common stock offered by this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, less the Sales Agents’ commission, will not be less than the NAV per share of our common stock at the time of such sale. The Investment Adviser may from time to time, in its sole discretion, pay some or all of the Sales Agents’ commission. Any such payments made by the Investment Adviser will not be subject to reimbursement by us. Assuming the sale of $100,000,000 of shares of our common stock offered under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus at a price of $13.21 per share (the net asset value of our common stock at June 30, 2025), we estimate that the net proceeds of this offering will be approximately $98.2 million, after deducting the estimated commissions payable to the Sales Agents and estimated offering expenses payable by us.

We intend to use a portion of the net proceeds from this offering to repay a portion of the amount outstanding under the Credit Facility; however, we may re-borrow under our Credit Facility and use such borrowings to invest in lower middle-market companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies and for working capital and general corporate purposes. As of September 9, 2025, the outstanding balance under the Credit Facility was $163.1 million. Any amounts borrowed under the Credit Facility will mature, and all accrued and unpaid interest thereunder will be due and payable, on November 21, 2028. Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest, subject to the Company’s election, on a per annum basis equal to (i) term Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 2.50% (or 2.75% during certain periods in which the Company’s asset coverage ratio is equal to or below 1.90 to 1.00) plus a SOFR credit spread adjustment (0.10% for one-month term SOFR and 0.15% for three-month term SOFR), with a 0.25% SOFR floor, or (ii) 1.50% (or 1.75% during certain periods in which the Company’s asset coverage ratio is equal to or below 1.90 to 1.00) plus an alternate base rate based on the highest of the prime rate (subject to a 3% floor), Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50% and one-month term SOFR plus 1.00%. The Company pays unused commitment fees of 0.50% per annum on the unused lender commitments under the Credit Facility. Interest is payable monthly or quarterly in arrears. Any reduction of outstanding amounts under the Credit Facility may be borrowed by us under the terms of the Credit Facility. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Financial Condition, Liquidity and Capital Resources-Credit Facility” in Part I, Item 2 of our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

We intend to use any net proceeds from this offering that are not applied as described above for general corporate purposes, which include investing in portfolio companies in accordance with our investment objective and strategies described in the accompanying prospectus. Pending such uses, we will invest the net proceeds primarily in high quality, short-term debt securities consistent with our BDC election and our election to be taxed as a RIC.

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CAPITALIZATION

The Equity Distribution Agreement provides that we may offer and sell up to $100,000,000 of shares of our common stock from time to time through the Sales Agents for the offer and sale of such shares of our common stock. The table below assumes that we will sell $100,000,000 of shares of our common stock at a price of $13.21 per share (the net asset value of our common stock at June 30, 2025), but there is no guarantee that there will be any sales of shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Actual sales, if any, of shares of our common stock under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be less than as set forth in the table below. In addition, the price per share of any such sale may be greater or less than $13.21, depending on the market price of shares of our common stock at the time of any such sale, which may be below the then-current NAV per share of our common stock. The following table sets forth our capitalization as of June 30, 2025:

You should read this table together with our “Use of Proceeds” included in this prospectus supplement and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and our financial statements and notes thereto in our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and our most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. The as-adjusted information is illustrative only.

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PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The information required by this item is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025 and incorporated by reference herein.

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We have entered into the Equity Distribution Agreement with Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. and Raymond James & Associates, Inc. (which we refer to as each a “Sales Agent” and together, the “Sales Agents”), under which we may issue and sell shares of our common stock from time to time through the Sales Agents acting as agents, that have an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000.

Upon written instructions from us and subject to the terms and conditions of the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Sales Agents will use their commercially reasonable efforts consistent with their sales and trading practices to sell by any method permitted by law and deemed to be part of an “at the market offering.” as defined in Rule 415(a)(4) promulgated under the Securities Act, at market prevailing prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. We will instruct each Sales Agent as to the amount of common stock to be sold by it. We may instruct the Sales Agents not to sell common stock if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any instruction. The Investment Adviser may from time to time, in its sole discretion, pay some or all of the Sales Agents’ commission. Any such payments made by the Investment Adviser will not be subject to reimbursement by us. We or the Sales Agents may suspend the offering of shares of common stock upon proper notice and subject to other conditions.

Each of the Sales Agents will provide written confirmation of a sale to us no later than the opening of the trading day on NYSE following each trading day in which shares of our common stock are sold under the Equity Distribution Agreement. Each confirmation will include the number of shares of common stock sold on the preceding day, the amount of any Investment Adviser contribution in connection with such sale, the net proceeds to us and the compensation payable by us to the Sales Agents in connection with the sales.

Under the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, the Sales Agents will be entitled to compensation equal to 1.5% of the gross sales price of shares of our common stock sold through it as Sales Agent. We estimate that the total expenses for the offering, excluding compensation payable to the Sales Agents under the terms of the Equity Distribution Agreement, will be approximately $230,000, assuming the sale of $100,000,000 of common stock offered under this prospectus supplement, which includes our legal, accounting and printing costs and various other fees associated with the offering, and certain ongoing expenses.

Settlement for sales of shares of common stock will occur on the second trading day following the date on which such sales are made, or on some other date that is agreed upon by us and the Sales Agents in connection with a particular transaction, in each case in accordance with applicable rules and regulations, in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

We will report at least quarterly the number of shares of our common stock sold through the Sales Agents under the Equity Distribution Agreement and the net proceeds to us.

In connection with the sale of the common stock on our behalf, each Sales Agent may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and the compensation of the Sales Agents may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the Sales Agents with respect to certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.

The offering of our shares of common stock pursuant to the Equity Distribution Agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the sale of all common stock subject to the Equity Distribution Agreement or (ii) the termination of the Equity Distribution Agreement as permitted therein.

This summary of the material provisions of the Equity Distribution Agreement does not purport to be a complete statement of its terms and conditions. A copy of the Equity Distribution Agreement will be filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated into this prospectus supplement by reference.

The Sales Agents and its affiliates may in the future provide various investment banking, commercial banking and other financial services for us and our affiliates, for which services they may in the future receive customary fees. In the course of their business, the Sales Agents may actively trade our securities for their own accounts or for the accounts of customers, and, accordingly, the Sales Agents may at any time hold long or short positions in such securities.

The principal business addresses of the Sales Agents are: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., 787 7th Avenue, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10019; and Raymond James & Associates, Inc., 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, FL 33716.

Other Jurisdictions

Other than in the United States, no action has been taken by us or the Sales Agents that would permit a public offering of the securities offered by this prospectus supplement in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. The securities offered by this prospectus supplement may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, nor may this prospectus supplement or any other offering material or advertisements in connection with the offer and sale of any such securities be distributed or published in any jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with the applicable rules and regulations of that jurisdiction. Persons into whose possession this prospectus supplement comes are advised to inform themselves about and to observe any restrictions relating to the offering and the distribution of this prospectus supplement. This prospectus supplement does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities offered by this prospectus supplement in any jurisdiction in which such an offer or a solicitation is unlawful.

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LEGAL MATTERS

Certain legal matters regarding the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP, Washington, D.C. Certain legal matters regarding the shares of common stock offered hereby will be passed upon for the Sales Agents by Dechert LLP, Boston, MA.

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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

We incorporate by reference in this prospectus supplement the documents listed below and any future reports and other documents we file with the SEC pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, until all of the securities offered by this prospectus supplement have been sold or we otherwise terminate the offering of these securities (such reports and other documents deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such reports and other documents); provided, however, that information “furnished” under Item 2.02 or Item 7.01 of Form 8-K, or other information “furnished” to the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act will not be incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement:

Any reports filed by us with the SEC before the date that any offering of any securities by means of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus is terminated will automatically update and, where applicable, supersede any information contained in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus or incorporated by reference into this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

To obtain copies of these filings, see “Available Information” in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.

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PROSPECTUS

$300,000,000

STELLUS CAPITAL INVESTMENT CORPORATION

Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Warrants
Subscription Rights
Debt Securities

Our investment objective is to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation. We originate and invest primarily in private lower middle - market companies (typically those with $5 million to $50 million of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)) through first lien (including unitranche), second lien, and unsecured debt financing, often with corresponding equity co - investments. The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, and in most cases, our investments in such companies will not be rated by national rating agencies. If such investments were rated, we believe that they would likely receive a rating that is often referred to as “junk”.

We are an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. We have elected to be treated and intend to qualify annually to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a BDC and a RIC, we are required to comply with certain regulatory requirements.

We may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings or series, up to $300,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights to purchase shares of our common stock, and/or warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities (collectively, the “securities”). The securities may be offered at prices and on terms to be described in one or more supplements to this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.

In the event we offer common stock, the offering price per share of our common stock less any underwriting discounts or commissions will generally not be less than the net asset value per share of our common stock at the time we make the offering. However, we may issue shares of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus at a price per share that is less than our net asset value per share (i) in connection with a rights offering to our existing shareholders, (ii) with the prior approval of the majority of our outstanding voting securities or (iii) under such other circumstances as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) may permit. At our 2025 annual meeting of stockholders, our stockholders voted to allow to issue common stock at a price below net asset value per share for the period ending on the earlier of one-year anniversary of the date of the 2025 annual meeting of stockholders which was held on June 17, 2025 or our 2026 annual meeting of shareholders. The proposal approved by our stockholders did not specify a maximum discount below net asset value at which we are able to issue our common stock immediately prior to such sale. We expect to seek similar approval at our 2026 annual meeting of stockholders which we expect to be held in June 2026. We cannot issue shares of our common stock below net asset value unless our board of directors determines that it would be in our and our stockholders’ best interests to do so. Sales of common stock at prices below net asset value per share dilute the interests of existing stockholders, have the effect of reducing our net asset value per share and may reduce our market price per share. In addition continuous sales of common stock below net asset value may have a negative impact on total returns and could have a negative impact on the market price of our shares of common stock. See “Sales of Common Stock Below Net Asset Value.”

The securities may be offered directly to one or more purchasers, through agents designated from time to time by us, or to or through underwriters or dealers. Each prospectus supplement relating to an offering will identify any agents or underwriters involved in the sale of the securities, and will disclose any applicable purchase price, fee, discount or commissions arrangement between us and our agents or underwriters or among our underwriters or the basis upon which such amount may be calculated. See “Plan of Distribution.” We may not sell any of the securities pursuant to this registration statement through agents, underwriters or dealers without delivery of this prospectus and a prospectus supplement describing the method and terms of the offering of such securities.

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “SCM.” On August 1, 2025, the last reported sales price of our common stock on NYSE was $14.03 per share. The net asset value per share of our common stock at March 31, 2025 (the last date prior to the date of this prospectus for which we reported net asset value) was $13.25.

Investing in our securities involves a high degree of risk, including credit risk, the risk of the use of leverage and the risk of dilution, and is highly speculative. In addition, shares of closed-end investment companies, including BDCs, frequently trade at a discount to their net asset values. If our shares of our common stock trade at a discount to our net asset value, it will likely increase the risk of loss for purchasers in an offering made pursuant to this prospectus or any related prospectus supplement. Before investing in our securities, you should read the discussion of the material risks of investing in our securities, including the risk of leverage and dilution, in “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10 of this prospectus or otherwise incorporated by reference herein and included in, or incorporated by reference into, the applicable prospectus supplement and in any free writing prospectuses we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

This prospectus describes some of the general terms that may apply to an offering of our securities. We will provide the specific terms of these offerings and securities in one or more supplements to this prospectus. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you in connection with these offerings. The accompanying prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus may also add, update, or change information contained in this prospectus. You should carefully read this prospectus, the accompanying prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference herein, before investing in our securities and keep them for future reference. We also file periodic and current reports, proxy statements and other information about us with the SEC. This information is available free of charge by contacting us at 4400 Post Oak Parkway, Suite 2200, Houston, TX 77027, Attention: Investor Relations, or by calling us at (713) 292-5400 or visiting our corporate website located at www.stelluscapital.com (under the Public (SCIC) section). The SEC also maintains a website at http://www.sec.gov that contains this information. Information on our website or the SEC’s website is not incorporated into or a part of this prospectus, and you should not consider that information to be part of this prospectus or the accompanying prospectus supplement.

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.

This prospectus may not be used to consummate sales of securities unless accompanied by a prospectus supplement.

The date of this prospectus is August 6, 2025.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we have filed with the SEC, using the “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf registration statement, we may offer, from time to time, in one or more offerings, up to $300,000,000 of our common stock, preferred stock, debt securities, subscription rights to purchase shares of our common stock, and/or warrants representing rights to purchase shares of our common stock, preferred stock or debt securities, on terms to be determined at the time of the offering. See “Plan of Distribution” for more information.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities that we may offer. Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering. We may also authorize one or more free writing prospectuses to be provided to you that may contain material information relating to these offerings. In a prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus, we may also add, update, or change any of the information contained in this prospectus or in the documents we have incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This prospectus, together with the applicable prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus, and the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, will include all material information relating to the applicable offering. To the extent that any statement that we make in a prospectus supplement is inconsistent with statements made in this prospectus or in documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, the statements made or incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed modified or superseded by those made in the prospectus supplement. Before buying any of the securities being offered, please carefully read this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, any free writing prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

This prospectus may contain estimates and information concerning our industry, including market size and growth rates of the markets in which we participate, that are based on industry publications and other third-party reports. This information involves many assumptions and limitations, and you are cautioned not to give undue weight to these estimates. We have not independently verified the accuracy or completeness of the data contained in these industry publications and reports. However, we acknowledge our responsibility for all disclosures in this prospectus. The industry in which we operate is subject to a high degree of uncertainty and risk due to a variety of factors, including those described or referenced in the section titled “Risk Factors,” that could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in these publications and reports.

This prospectus includes summaries of certain provisions contained in some of the documents described in this prospectus, but reference is made to the actual documents for complete information. All of the summaries are qualified in their entirety by the actual documents. Copies of some of the documents referred to herein have been filed or incorporated by reference, or will be filed or incorporated by reference, as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and you may obtain copies of those documents as described in the section titled “Available Information.”

You should rely only on the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or other person to provide you with different information or to make representations as to matters not stated in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you. We take no responsibility for, and can provide no assurance as to the reliability of, any other information that others may give you. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement and any free writing prospectus prepared by us or on our behalf or to which we have referred you do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities by any person in any jurisdiction where it is unlawful for that person to make such an offer or solicitation or to any person in any jurisdiction to whom it is unlawful to make such an offer or solicitation. You should not assume that the information included or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, in any accompanying prospectus supplement or in any such free writing prospectus is accurate as of any date other than their respective dates. Our financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since any such date. To the extent required by law, we will amend or supplement the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement to reflect any material changes to such information subsequent to the date of the prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement and prior to the completion of any offering pursuant to the prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.

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PROSPECTUS SUMMARY

This summary highlights some of the information included elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference. It is not complete and may not contain all of the information that you may want to consider before investing in our securities. You should carefully read the entire prospectus, the applicable prospectus supplement, and any related free writing prospectus, including the risks of investing in our securities discussed in the section titled “Risk Factors” in the applicable prospectus supplement and any related free writing prospectus, and under similar headings in the other documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement. Before making your investment decision, you should also carefully read the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, including our financial statements and related notes, and the exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. Throughout this prospectus we refer to Stellus Capital Investment Corporation as “we,” “us,” “our” or the “Company,” and to Stellus Capital Management, our investment adviser, as “Stellus Capital Management“, “Adviser” or “Administrator.”

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation

We are externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company that has elected to be regulated as a business development company, (the “BDC”), under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). We originate and invest primarily in private lower middle-market companies (typically those with $5 million to $50 million of EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization)) through first lien (including unitranche), second lien, and unsecured debt financing, often with corresponding equity co-investments. Unitranche structures may combine characteristics of first lien senior secured as well as second lien and/or subordinated loans, and our unitranche loans will expose us to the risks associated with second lien and subordinated loans to the extent we invest in the “last-out” tranche. Unsecured debt includes senior unsecured and subordinated loans.

Our investment activities are managed by our investment adviser, Stellus Capital Management, an investment advisory firm led by Robert T. Ladd and its other senior investment professionals. We source investments primarily through the extensive network of relationships that the senior investment professionals of Stellus Capital Management have developed with financial sponsor firms, financial institutions, lower middle- market companies, management teams and other professional intermediaries. The companies in which we invest are typically highly leveraged, and, in most cases, our investments in such companies will not be rated by national rating agencies. If such investments were rated, we believe that they would likely receive a rating that is often referred to as “junk.”

Our investment objective is to maximize the total return to our stockholders in the form of current income and capital appreciation. We seek to achieve our investment objective by:

We have elected and intend to qualify annually to be treated as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). To maintain our qualification as a RIC, we must, among other things, meet certain source-of-income and asset diversification requirements. As a RIC, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any income we timely distribute to our stockholders as dividends.

Our Adviser

Stellus Capital Management manages our investment activities and is responsible for analyzing investment opportunities, conducting research and performing due diligence on potential investments, negotiating and structuring our investments, originating prospective investments and monitoring our investments and portfolio companies on an ongoing basis.

The senior investment professionals of Stellus Capital Management have an average of over 36 years of investing, corporate finance, restructuring, consulting and accounting experience and have worked together at several companies. The Stellus Capital Management senior investment professionals have a wide range of experience in lower middle-market investing, including originating, structuring and managing loans and debt securities through market cycles.

In addition to serving as our investment adviser, Stellus Capital Management currently manages private credit funds which have an investment strategy that is similar or identical to our investment strategy. We received the Order from the SEC, which permits us to co-invest with investment funds managed by Stellus Capital Management or an adviser that is controlled, controlling, or under common control with Stellus Capital Management, where doing so is consistent with our investment strategy as well as applicable law (including the terms and conditions of the Order). We believe that such co-investments may afford us additional investment opportunities and an ability to achieve greater diversification. In addition, we will not co-invest with D.E. Shaw group funds.

Stellus Capital Management is registered as an investment adviser with the SEC under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (together with the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, the “Advisers Act”). Subject to the overall supervision of our board of directors (the “Board”), our Adviser manages our day-to-day operations and provides us with investment advisory services pursuant to the investment advisory agreement (the “Advisory Agreement”). Pursuant to the Advisory Agreement, we have agreed to pay Stellus Capital Management a fee for investment advisory and management services consisting of two components - a base management fee and an incentive fee. The cost of both the base management fee and the incentive fee is borne by our stockholders. See “Management and Other Agreements.” In addition, Stellus Capital Management serves as our administrator.

Stellus Capital Management is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and also maintains offices in the Washington, D.C. area and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Our Administrator

We have entered into an administration agreement (the “Administration Agreement”) with Stellus Capital Management, pursuant to which our Administrator is responsible for furnishing us with office facilities and equipment and providing us with clerical, bookkeeping, recordkeeping and other administrative services at such facilities. For more information, see “Management and Other Agreements.”

Market Opportunity

We originate and invest primarily in private lower middle-market companies through first lien (including unitranche), second lien and unsecured debt financing, often with corresponding equity co-investments. We believe the environment for investing in lower middle-market companies is attractive for several reasons, including:

Robust Demand for Debt Capital. We believe that private equity firms have significant committed but uncalled capital, a large portion of which is still available for investment in the United States. We expect the large amount of uninvested capital commitments will drive buyout activity over the next several years, which should, in turn, create lending opportunities for us.

Attractive Environment to Lend To Lower Middle-Market Companies. The current strength of the U.S. economy provides an attractive environment to lend to lower middle-market companies. The U.S. services, healthcare, technology and consumer products sectors continue to show strong growth and profitability, allowing lower middle-market companies to continue to service their debt and prudently borrow to support growth initiatives and mergers and acquisitions activity. This dynamism, coupled with ample capital from private equity firms to support lower middle-market companies, is creating a large population of credit worthy companies looking for debt capital.

Attractive Deal Pricing and Structures. We believe that the pricing of lower middle-market debt investments is higher, and the terms of such investments are more conservative, compared to larger liquid, public debt financings, due to the more limited universe of lenders as well as the highly negotiated nature of these financings. These transactions tend to offer stronger covenant packages, higher interest rates, lower leverage levels and better call protection compared to larger financings. In addition, lower middle-market loans typically offer other investor protections such as default penalties, lien protection, change of control provisions and information rights for lenders.

Specialized Lending Requirements. Lending to lower middle-market companies requires in-depth diligence, credit expertise, restructuring experience and active portfolio management. We believe that several factors render many U.S. financial institutions ill-suited to lend to lower middle-market companies. For example, based on the experience of Stellus Capital Management’s senior investment professionals, lending to lower middle-market companies in the United States (a) is generally more labor intensive than lending to larger companies due to the smaller size of each investment and the fragmented nature of the information available with respect to such companies, (b) requires specialized due diligence and underwriting capabilities, and (c) may also require more extensive ongoing monitoring by the lender. We believe that, through Stellus Capital Management, we have the experience and expertise to meet these specialized lending requirements.

Competitive Strengths

We believe that the following competitive strengths will allow us to achieve positive returns for our investors:

Experienced Investment Team.   Through our investment adviser, Stellus Capital Management, we have access to the experience and expertise of the Stellus Capital Management’s senior investment professionals, including its senior investment professionals who have an average of over 36 years of investing, corporate finance, restructuring, consulting and accounting experience and have worked together at several companies. The Stellus Capital Management investment professionals have a wide range of experience in lower middle-market investing, including originating, structuring and managing loans and debt securities through market cycles. We believe the members of Stellus Capital Management’s senior investment professionals are proven and experienced, with extensive capabilities in leveraged credit investing, having participated in these markets for the predominant portion of their careers. We believe that these characteristics enhance the quantity and quality of investment opportunities available to us.

Established, Rigorous Investment and Monitoring Process.   The Stellus Capital Management investment professionals have developed an extensive review and credit analysis process. Each investment that is reviewed by Stellus Capital Management is brought through a structured, multi-stage approval process. In addition, Stellus Capital Management takes an active approach in monitoring all investments, including reviews of financial performance on at least a quarterly basis and regular discussions with management. We believe Stellus Capital Management’s investment and monitoring process and the depth and experience of its investment professionals allow it to conduct the type of due diligence and monitoring that enables it to identify and evaluate risks and opportunities.

Demonstrated Ability to Structure Investments Creatively.   Stellus Capital Management has the expertise and ability to structure investments across all levels of a company’s capital structure. Furthermore, we believe that current market conditions will allow us to structure attractively priced debt investments and may allow us to incorporate other return-enhancing mechanisms such as commitment fees, original issue discount (“OID”), early redemption premiums, payment-in-kind, or “PIK,” interest and various forms of equity securities.

Resources of Stellus Capital Management Platform.   We have access to the resources and capabilities of Stellus Capital Management, which has 17 investment professionals, including Robert T. Ladd, Dean D’Angelo and Joshua T. Davis, who are supported by seven managing directors, three vice presidents and four analysts. These individuals have developed long-term relationships with lower middle-market companies, management teams, financial sponsors, lending institutions and deal intermediaries by providing flexible financing throughout the capital structure. We believe that these relationships provide us with a competitive advantage in identifying investment opportunities in our target market. We also expect to benefit from Stellus Capital Management’s due diligence, credit analysis, origination and transaction execution experience and capabilities, including the support provided with respect to those functions by W. Todd Huskinson, who serves as our Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer, and his staff of nine finance and operations professionals.

Use of Leverage

Credit Facility.   On October 11, 2017, the Company entered into a senior secured revolving credit agreement, as amended, dated as of October 10, 2017, that was amended and restated on December 21, 2021, February 28, 2022, May 13, 2022, November 21, 2023 and October 30, 2024, with Zions Bancorporation, N.A., dba Amegy Bank and various other lenders (the “Credit Facility”). The Credit Facility provides for borrowings up to a maximum of $315,000,000 on a committed basis with an accordion feature that allows the Company to increase the aggregate commitments up to $350,000,000, subject to new or existing lenders agreeing to participate in the increase and other customary conditions. Pursuant to the Fourth Amendment to Amended and Restated Senior Secured Revolving Credit Agreement, the Credit Facility will bear interest, subject to the Company’s election, on a per annum basis equal to (i) term secured overnight financing rate (“SOFR”) plus 2.50% (or 2.75% during certain periods in which the Company’s asset coverage ratio is equal to or below 1.90 to 1.00) plus a SOFR credit spread adjustment (0.10% for one-month term SOFR and 0.15% for three-month term SOFR), with a 0.25% SOFR floor, or (ii) 1.50% (or 1.75% during certain periods in which the Company’s asset coverage ratio is equal to or below 1.90 to 1.00) plus an alternate base rate based on the highest of the prime rate (subject to a 3% floor), Federal Funds Rate plus 0.50% and one-month term SOFR plus 1.00%. The Company pays unused commitment fees of 0.50% per annum on the unused lender commitments under the Credit Facility. Interest is payable monthly or quarterly in arrears. The commitment to fund the revolver expires on November 21, 2027, after which the Company may no longer borrow under the Credit Facility and must begin repaying principal equal to 1/12 of the aggregate amount outstanding under the Credit Facility each month. Any amounts borrowed under the Credit Facility will mature, and all accrued and unpaid interest thereunder will be due and payable, on November 21, 2028. The Company’s obligations to the lenders are secured by a first priority security interest in its portfolio of securities and cash not held

at the Small Business Investment Company (“SBIC”) subsidiaries, but excluding short term investments. The Credit Facility contains certain covenants, including but not limited to: (i) maintaining a minimum liquidity test of at least $10,000,000, including cash, liquid investments and undrawn availability, (ii) maintaining an asset coverage ratio of at least 1.67 to 1.00, (iii) maintaining a minimum stockholder’s equity, and (iv) maintaining a minimum interest coverage ratio of at least 1.75 to 1.00. As of March 31, 2025, $221,813,920 was outstanding under the Credit Facility.

4.875% Notes.   On January 14, 2021, we issued $100 million in aggregate principal amount of 4.875% fixed-rate notes due 2026 (the “2026 Notes”). The 2026 Notes will mature on March 30, 2026, and may be redeemed in whole or in part at any time on or after December 31, 2025 or from time to time at the Company’s option at a redemption price equal to the greater of the following amounts, plus, in each case, accrued and unpaid interest to, but excluding, the redemption date: (1) 100% of the principal amount of the 2026 Notes to be redeemed; or (2) the sum of the present values of the remaining scheduled payments of principal and interest (exclusive of accrued and unpaid interest to the date of redemption) of the 2026 Notes to be redeemed, discounted to the redemption date on a semi-annual basis plus 50 basis points; provided, however that if we redeem any 2026 Notes on or after December 31, 2025, the redemption price of the 2026 Notes will be 100% of the principal amount of the 2026 Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the date of redemption. As of March 31, 2025, we had $100 million of 2026 Notes outstanding.

7.250% Notes.   On April 1, 2025, the Company issued $75,000,000 million in aggregate principal amount of 7.250% Notes due 2030 (the “2030 Notes”). The 2030 Notes bear interest at a rate of 7.250% per year payable semi-annually in arrears on April 1 and October 1 of each year, commencing October 1, 2025. The 2030 Notes will mature on April 1, 2030, unless previously redeemed or repurchased in accordance with their terms. The 2030 Notes are the direct unsecured obligations of the Company and rank pari passu with the Company’s existing and future unsecured, unsubordinated indebtedness, including the 2026 Notes; senior to any series of preferred stock that the Company may issue in the future; senior to any of the Company’s future indebtedness that expressly provides it is subordinated to the 2030 Notes; effectively subordinated to all of the Company’s existing and future secured indebtedness (including indebtedness that is initially unsecured to which the Company subsequently grants security), to the extent of the value of the assets securing such indebtedness, including, without limitation, borrowings under the Credit Facility; and structurally subordinated to all existing and future indebtedness and other obligations of any of the Company’s existing or future subsidiaries. The indenture and supplements thereto relating to the 2030 Notes contain certain covenants, including covenants requiring the Company to comply with Section 18(a)(1)(A) as modified by Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act, or any successor provisions, to comply with Section 18(a)(1)(B) as modified by Section 61(a)(2) of the 1940 Act, or any successor provisions, whether or not the Company continues to be subject to such provisions of the 1940 Act, but giving effect, in either case, to any exemptive relief granted to the Company by the SEC and certain other exceptions, and to provide financial information to the holders of the 2030 Notes and the trustee under the indenture if the Company should no longer be subject to the reporting requirements under the Securities Act of 1934 Act, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). These covenants are subject to important limitations and exceptions that are set forth in the indenture relating to the 2030 Notes.

SBA-guaranteed Debentures.   Due to the SBIC subsidiary’s status as a licensed SBIC, we have the ability to issue debentures guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) at favorable interest rates. Debentures guaranteed by the SBA have fixed interest rates that equal prevailing 10-year U.S. Treasury Note rates plus a market spread and have a maturity of ten years with interest payable semi-annually. The principal amount of the SBA-guaranteed debentures is not required to be paid before maturity, but may be pre-paid at any time with no prepayment penalty. SBA-guaranteed debentures drawn before October 1, 2019 incur upfront fees of 3.425%, which consists of a 1.00% commitment fee and a 2.425% issuance discount, which are amortized over the life of the SBA-guaranteed debentures. SBA-guaranteed debentures are also subject to certain fees payable by the SBICs at the time such debentures are drawn. SBA-guaranteed debentures drawn after October 1, 2019 incur upfront fees of 3.435%, which consists of a 1.00% commitment fee and a 2.435% issuance discount, which are amortized over the life of the SBA-guaranteed debentures. Once pooled, which occurs in March and September of each applicable year, the SBA-guaranteed debentures bear interest at a fixed rate that is set to the current 10-year treasury rate plus a spread at each pooling date. As of March 31, 2025, the Stellus Capital SBIC LP subsidiary had $75,000,000 in regulatory capital and $133,750,000 of SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding. As of March 31, 2025, Stellus Capital SBIC II LP subsidiary had $87,500,000 in regulatory capital and $175,000,000 of SBA-guaranteed debentures outstanding.

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FEES AND EXPENSES

Information regarding our fees and expenses is incorporated by reference herein from our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Information regarding our financial highlights is incorporated by reference herein from our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q.

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SUPPLEMENTARY FINANCIAL DATA

The information in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data,” including the financial notes related thereto, of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in “Item 1. Consolidated Statements of Assets and Liabilities” and “Item 1. Financial Statements,” including the financial notes related thereto, of our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are incorporated by reference herein.

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RISK FACTORS

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement, any related free writing prospectus and any documents we may incorporate by reference herein contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors and undue reliance should not be placed thereon. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, but rather are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company, our current and prospective portfolio investments, our industry, our beliefs and opinions, and our assumptions. Words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “may,” “continue,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “targets,” “projects,” “outlook,” “potential,” “predicts” 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:

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, the prospectus supplement, any documents we may incorporate by reference herein, and any related free writing prospectus should not be regarded as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved. These forward-looking statements apply only as of the dates of this prospectus, the prospectus supplement, any documents we may incorporate by reference herein, and any related free writing prospectus. Moreover, we assume no duty and do not undertake to update the forward-looking statements. Because we are an investment company, the forward-looking statements and projections contained in this prospectus are excluded from the safe harbor protection provided by Section 21E of the Exchange Act.

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise specified in any applicable prospectus supplement or in any free writing prospectus we have authorized for use in connection with a specific offering, we intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities pursuant to this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include, among other things, investing in accordance with our investment objective and strategy, repayment of any outstanding indebtedness, paying operating expenses and other general corporate purposes.

We anticipate that substantially all of the net proceeds of an offering of securities pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or free writing prospectus will be used for the above purposes within three months of any such offering, depending on the availability of appropriate investment opportunities consistent with our investment objective, but no longer than within six months of any such offerings. However, we can offer no assurance that we will be able to achieve this goal.

Pending such uses and investments, we intend to invest the net proceeds primarily in high quality, short-term debt securities consistent with our BDC election and our election to be taxed as a RIC. We do not intend to use any portion of net proceeds of this offering to fund distribution to our stockholders. Proceeds not immediately used for new investments or the temporary repayment of debt will be invested primarily in cash, cash equivalents, U.S. government securities and other high-quality investments that mature in one year or less from the date of investment. These securities may have lower yields than the types of investments we would typically make in accordance with our investment objective and, accordingly, may result in lower distributions, if any, during such period. Our ability to achieve our investment objective may be limited to the extent that the net proceeds from an offering, pending full investment, are held in interest- bearing deposits or other short-term instruments. The prospectus supplement relating to an offering will more fully identify the use of proceeds from any offering.

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PRICE RANGE OF COMMON STOCK AND DISTRIBUTIONS

The following information is qualified by reference to, and should be read in conjunction with, the information in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q regarding the price range of our common stock, distributions and stockholders of record, which is incorporated by reference herein.

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “SCM”. Shares of BDCs may trade at a market price that is less than the value of the net assets attributable to those shares. The possibility that our shares of common stock will trade at a discount from net asset value (“NAV”) per share or at premiums that are unsustainable over the long term are separate and distinct from the risk that our NAV per share will decrease. It is not possible to predict whether our common stock will trade at, above, or below NAV per share. See “Item 1A. Risk Factors — Risks Related to an Investment in Our Common Stock” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. On August 1, 2025, the last reported closing sales price of our common stock on the NYSE was $14.03 per share, which represented a premium of approximately 5.88% to our NAV per share of $13.25 as of March 31, 2025.

Distribution Policy

To the extent that we have income available, we intend to make quarterly distributions to our stockholders. Our quarterly stockholder distributions, if any, will be determined by our Board. Any stockholder distribution to our stockholders will be declared out of assets legally available for distribution.

The Company has elected and intends to qualify annually to be treated as a RIC under subchapter M of the Code. To qualify as a RIC, among other things, the Company generally 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 be subject to U.S. federal income tax on any ordinary income or capital gains that it distributes at least annually to its stockholders as dividends. To avoid a 4% U.S. federal excise tax on undistributed earnings, the Company is required to distribute each calendar year the sum of (i) 98% of its ordinary income for such calendar year, (ii) 98.2% the amount by which the Company’s capital gain exceeds its capital loss (adjusted for certain ordinary losses) for the one-year period ending October 31 in that calendar year, and (iii) certain undistributed amounts from previous years on which the Company paid no U.S. federal income tax, or the “Excise Tax Avoidance Requirement”. See “Risk Factors — Risks Relating to our Business and Structure — We will be subject to U.S. federal income tax if we are unable to maintain our tax treatment as a RIC under subchapter M of the Code” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We currently intend to distribute net capital gains (i.e., net long-term capital gains in excess of net short-term capital losses), if any, at least annually out of the assets legally available for such distributions. However, we may decide in the future to retain such capital gains for investment and elect to treat such gains as deemed distributions to you. If this happens, you will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as if you had received an actual distribution of the capital gains that we retain and reinvested the net after tax proceeds in us. In this situation, you would 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 cannot assure you that we will achieve results that will permit us to pay any cash distributions, and if we issue senior securities, we may be prohibited from making distributions if doing so would cause us to fail to maintain the asset coverage ratios stipulated by the 1940 Act or if such distributions are limited by the terms of any of our borrowings.

We have adopted an “opt out” dividend reinvestment plan for our common stockholders. Unless you elect to receive your distributions in cash, we intend to make such distributions in additional shares of our common stock under our dividend reinvestment plan. Although distributions paid in the form of additional shares of our common stock will generally be subject to U.S. federal, state and local taxes in the same manner as cash distributions, investors participating in our dividend reinvestment plan will not receive any corresponding cash distributions with which to pay any such applicable taxes. If you hold shares of our common stock in the name of a broker or financial intermediary, you should contact such broker or financial intermediary regarding your election to receive distributions in cash in lieu of shares of our common stock. Any distributions reinvested through the issuance of shares through our dividend reinvestment plan will increase our gross assets on which the base management fee and the incentive fee are determined and paid to Stellus Capital Management. See “Dividend Reinvestment Plan.”

Dividends Declared

The following table reflects the distributions declared on shares of our common stock during the years ended December 31, 2022, December 31, 2023, December 31, 2024 and the quarter ended March 31, 2025:

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MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The information contained in “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and in “Part I, Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are incorporated by reference herein and should be read in conjunction with, and are qualified by reference to, our financial statements and notes thereto included in such Annual Report on Form 10-K and such Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as applicable.

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BUSINESS

The information contained in “Part I, Item 1. Business,” “Part I, Item 2. Properties” and “Part I, Item 3. Legal Proceedings” of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in “Part II, Item 1. Legal Proceedings” of our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are incorporated herein by reference.

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PORTFOLIO COMPANIES

The following table sets forth certain information regarding each of the portfolio companies in which we had debt or equity investment as of March 31, 2025. We may receive rights to observe the meetings of our portfolio companies’ board of directors. Other than these investments, our only relationship with our portfolio companies are the managerial assistance we may separately provide to our portfolio companies, which services would be ancillary to our investments. As of March 31, 2025, with the exception of EH Real Estate Services, LLC, we did not “control” and are not an “affiliate” of any of our portfolio companies, each as defined in the 1940 Act. In general, under the 1940 Act, we would “control” a portfolio company if we owned 25% or more of its voting securities and would be an “affiliate” of a portfolio company if we owned five percent or more of its voting securities.