v3.26.1
Organization
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
ORGANIZATION [Abstract]  
Organization

NOTE 1 — ORGANIZATION

Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc. (an emerging growth company) (the “Company”, “we” or “our”) was formed on January 25, 2021 as a Maryland corporation structured as an externally managed, closed-end, non-diversified management investment company. The Company has elected to be regulated as a business development company (“BDC”), under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (“1940 Act”). In addition, for U.S. federal income tax purposes the Company adopted an initial tax year end of December 31, 2021, and was taxed as a corporation for the tax period ended December 31, 2021. The Company adopted the tax year end of March 31 and elected to be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) for the tax period January 1, 2022 through March 31, 2022, and has maintained (and intends to continue to maintain) such election in subsequent taxable years. However, there is no guarantee that the Company will qualify to make such an election for any taxable year.

The Company is managed by Chicago Atlantic BDC Advisers, LLC (the “Adviser”), a registered investment adviser under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Adviser has engaged SS&C Technologies, Inc. and ALPS Fund Services, Inc. (“SS&C”), as sub-administrator, to perform administrative services necessary for the Company's operations.

The Company is a specialty finance company focused on investing in companies in highly complex and highly regulated industries typically underserved by other capital providers, including investing across the cannabis ecosystem through investments in the form of direct loans to privately held cannabis companies. Although the Company focuses on investments in the cannabis industry, the Company may also invest in growth and technology companies, esoteric and asset-based lending opportunities, and liquidity solutions opportunities.

The Company’s investment objective is to maximize risk-adjusted returns on equity for its shareholders. The Company seeks to capitalize on, among other things, what it believes to be nascent cannabis industry growth, and drive return on equity by generating current income from its debt investments and capital appreciation from its equity and equity-related investments. The Company intends to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily in secured debt, unsecured debt, equity warrants and direct equity investments in privately held businesses. The Company intends that its debt investments will often be secured by either a first or second priority lien on the assets of the portfolio company, can include either fixed or floating rate terms and will generally have a term of between three and six years from the original investment date.

On October 1, 2024, the Company completed its previously announced acquisition of a portfolio of loans (the “Loan Portfolio”) from Chicago Atlantic Loan Portfolio, LLC ("CALP") in exchange for newly issued shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Loan Portfolio Acquisition”), pursuant to the Purchase Agreement, dated as of February 18, 2024, between the Company and CALP (the “Loan Portfolio Acquisition Agreement”). In accordance with the terms of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition Agreement, at the effective time of the Loan Portfolio Acquisition, the Company issued 16,605,372 shares of its common stock to CALP in exchange for the Loan Portfolio, which was determined by the Company to have a fair value of $219,621,125 as of September 28, 2024.

On October 1, 2024, the Adviser and Chicago Atlantic BDC Holdings, LLC (together with its affiliates, “Chicago Atlantic”), the investment adviser of CALP, consummated a previously announced transaction pursuant to which a joint venture between Chicago Atlantic and the Adviser was created to combine and jointly operate the Adviser’s, and a portion of Chicago Atlantic’s, investment management businesses (the “Joint Venture”).

In connection with the Loan Portfolio Acquisition and the Joint Venture, the Company was renamed “Chicago Atlantic BDC, Inc.,” and its ticker symbol was changed to “LIEN,” and the Adviser was renamed “Chicago Atlantic BDC Advisers, LLC.” The changes to the Company’s name and ticker symbol became effective in the market at the open of business on October 2, 2024.