Capital Southwest Corporation operates as a business development company (BDC), specializing in credit, private equity, and venture capital investments focused on middle market companies throughout the United States. The firm engages across various investment stages, including mezzanine financing, later-stage and mature businesses, late venture, emerging growth enterprises, buyouts, recapitalizations, and growth capital funding. The company explicitly refrains from investing in startups, publicly traded entities, real estate developments, project finance opportunities, oil and gas exploration ventures, troubled companies, turnaround situations, or businesses facing significant departures of senior management. Within the lower middle market, Capital Southwest provides capital for growth initiatives, bolt-on and new platform acquisitions, refinancing, dividend recapitalizations, and both sponsor-led and management buyouts. Its investment structures are diverse, encompassing Unitranche debt, subordinated debt, senior debt, first and second lien debt, alongside preferred and common equity. The firm also participates in equity co-investments alongside its debt financing, taking non-controlling stakes up to 20% of the total transaction value. Investment criteria for target companies include revenues exceeding $10 million, consistent profitability, and a historical annual growth rate of at least 15%. For lower middle market opportunities, the firm typically seeks businesses with less than $15 million in EBITDA, while also opportunistically considering upper middle market ventures, generally defined as companies with EBITDA greater than $50 million. Capital Southwest strategically focuses its investments within several key industry sectors: Industrial manufacturing and services Value-added distribution Healthcare products and services Business services Specialty chemicals Food and beverage Tech-enabled services and SaaS models More specifically, the firm seeks opportunities in: Energy services and products: This segment includes all industry facets (upstream, midstream, downstream) with the exclusion of direct exploration and production. Focus areas encompass differentiated products and services, equipment and tool rentals, consumable products, and drilling and completion chemicals. Industrial technologies: Covering automation and process controls, handling and packaging equipment, industrial filtration and fluid handling, measurement, monitoring, and testing solutions, professional tools, and sensors and instrumentation. Specialty chemicals and products: This segment targets businesses involved in the development and manufacture of highly differentiated products such as adhesives, coatings, sealants, catalysts, absorbents, cosmeceuticals, fine chemicals, flavors, fragrances, performance lubricants, polymers, plastics, composites, chemical dispensing and filtration equipment, professional and industrial trade consumables and tools, engineered solutions for HVAC, plumbing, and electrical installations, and specified high-performance materials for fire protection and oilfield applications. Additionally, the firm considers exceptional opportunities within building products. Beyond direct investments, Capital Southwest allocates capital to syndicated first and second lien term loans in the upper middle market. The criteria for these syndicated loans include: First Lien: Companies with EBITDA over $30 million, closing leverage exceeding 4x, an investment hold size between $5 million and $7 million, and an investment yield greater than 6.5%. Second Lien: Companies with EBITDA surpassing $50 million, closing leverage above 6x, an investment hold size between $5 million and $7 million, and an investment yield exceeding 9%. The firm's investment sizes typically range from $5 million to $25 million for securities generally. Specifically, equity investments can range from $5 million to $50 million, while debt investments typically fall between $5 million and $20 million. Co-investment transaction sizes can extend up to $40 million. While its equity co-investments are exclusively non-controlling, the firm generally maintains flexibility in taking both majority and minority positions across its investment portfolio. Capital Southwest has the capacity to hold investments for extended periods and may also utilize warrants as an investment mechanism. The firm prioritizes obtaining Board representation in its portfolio companies. Capital Southwest Corporation was established on April 19, 1961, and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
Subscribe to see Capital Southwest Corporation’s full profile → the full roster, investors in every round, weekly hiring history and every corporate event
Capital Southwest Corporation is an asset management company headquartered in Dallas, United States. It is publicly listed (CSWC) with a market capitalisation of $1.5B. Xcout tracks 19 named people at Capital Southwest Corporation, including Michael Scott Sarner (President, Board Member & CEO).
13 more named people on record for Capital Southwest Corporation, with roles, board committees and tenure — see the full roster →
A few of Capital Southwest Corporation's closest competitors — see the full list of competitors and alternatives →
Carlyle Secured Lending, Inc. functions as a business development company, primarily making direct investments. The firm provides a diverse array of financing, including first and second lien senior secured loans, unsecured debt, mezzanine debt, and equity stakes. It focuses its investment efforts on the middle market segment. Industries of interest include healthcare and pharmaceuticals, aerospace and defense, high technology, business services, software, the beverage, food, and tobacco sectors, hospitality, gaming, and leisure, banking, finance, and insurance, and real estate. Geographically, Carlyle Secured Lending invests in companies located in the United States, Luxembourg, the Cayman Islands, Cyprus, and the United Kingdom. It typically targets businesses generating an EBITDA between $25 million and $100 million.
CION Investment Corporation operates as a Business Development Company (BDC) with a core focus on providing capital to middle-market businesses. It specializes in various debt instruments, including senior secured loans (such as unitranche, First Lien, and second lien loans), long-term subordinated loans, mezzanine debt, corporate bonds, and other debt securities. Additionally, the firm acquires equity interests, like warrants or options, in these target companies. CION supports diverse corporate initiatives, ranging from funding for growth and acquisitions to leveraged buyouts, market and product expansion, refinancing existing debt, and recapitalization efforts. Up to 30% of its assets may also be allocated to opportunistic investments, which can include securities issued by larger public corporations and foreign holdings. The company actively participates in the secondary loan market but explicitly avoids investing in start-up ventures, companies undergoing turnaround situations, or those with speculative business models. Its investment activities are predominantly focused within the United States. CION demonstrates a broad investment appetite across numerous sectors, including high technology, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, business services, media, chemicals, plastics, rubber, telecommunications, consumer services, advertising, printing and publishing, consumer goods (both durables and non-durables), diversified financials, homebuilding, restaurants, hospitality (beverage and tobacco bars), broadcasting, various distribution channels, food and beverage, energy (oil, gas, and consumables fuels), insurance, aerospace and defense, industrial machinery, paper and forest products, information technology, metals and mining, and real estate. Typically, the firm commits between $5 million and $50 million per investment to companies generating an EBITDA of $25 million to $75 million, with an average target hold size of $25 million. CION also acquires minority stakes, in the form of either common or preferred equity, within target companies. These equity investments are generally made in conjunction with its debt offerings or through co-investments alongside financial sponsors. Successful exits from its investments are usually achieved via an initial public offering (IPO), a merger, a direct sale, or other recapitalization events.
OFS Capital Corporation functions as a business development company, delivering adaptable capital solutions, predominantly through debt financing and, to a lesser degree, minority equity investments. The firm concentrates on U.S.-based middle-market enterprises across a wide spectrum of sectors, deliberately avoiding investments in operational turnarounds or nascent businesses. Its investment approach encompasses direct funding, participating in funds, and facilitating add-on acquisitions. Within its direct investment strategy, OFS Capital provides expertise in various financial structures, including debt and structured equity, recapitalizations, refinancing operations, management and leveraged buyouts, acquisition funding, events for shareholder liquidity, and growth capital. It also supports independent sponsor transactions, Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), and minority investments in lower middle-market companies. Targeted industries include aerospace and defense, business services, consumer products and services, food and beverage, healthcare services, specialty chemicals, transportation and logistics, value-added distribution, franchising, and niche industrial manufacturing. The firm seeks out U.S.-based companies that generate revenues between $10 million and $200 million, have an annual EBITDA exceeding $5 million, and possess an enterprise value from $10 million to $500 million. Individual investments typically range from $5 million to $35 million, with debt-specific investments falling between $5 million and $25 million. OFS Capital utilizes a diverse set of financial tools, including senior secured loans, unitranche facilities, first-lien and second-lien debt, subordinated or mezzanine loans, warrants, preferred equity securities, and common equity. The company is open to acquiring both minority and majority stakes in its investments and frequently collaborates with co-investors to access additional capital.
Sixth Street Specialty Lending, Inc. (TSLX) functions as a specialized Business Development Company. It provides a wide array of financing solutions, including various forms of debt such as senior secured loans (encompassing first-lien, second-lien, and unitranche facilities), unsecured loans, and mezzanine debt. The firm also strategically allocates capital to corporate bonds, equity securities, structured products, non-control structured equity, and common equity, frequently engaging in co-investments. These financial commitments primarily aim to facilitate corporate endeavors like organic expansion, strategic acquisitions, market or product diversification, restructuring initiatives, recapitalizations, and refinancing. Its investment focus covers a broad range of sectors, including business services, software and technology, healthcare, energy, consumer and retail, manufacturing, industrials, royalty-generating enterprises, education, and specialty finance. The company primarily targets middle-market companies, with a strong emphasis on those situated within the United States. Prospective portfolio companies typically exhibit an enterprise value between $50 million and more than $1 billion, alongside EBITDA figures ranging from $10 million to $250 million. Individual transaction sizes generally range from $15 million to $350 million. Sixth Street Specialty Lending is adept at investing across the entire capital structure, possesses the capacity to arrange syndicated transactions totaling up to $500 million, and can maintain significant ownership stakes within its credit exposures.
BCP Investment Corporation (BCIC) operates as a business development company, primarily focused on providing capital solutions to middle-market businesses. The firm engages in a diverse array of financing strategies, including various forms of debt such as unitranche loans (even those designated "last out"), first and second lien debt, and subordinated or mezzanine financing. Additionally, BCIC undertakes equity co-investments and direct buyouts. Beyond its core investment activities, the company strategically acquires complementary businesses to enhance its operations. BCIC's investment focus spans a broad spectrum of industries. Key sectors include healthcare, logistics and distribution, manufacturing, industrial and environmental services, media and telecommunications, real estate, education, automotive, agriculture, aerospace and defense, packaging, electronics, financial services, consumer goods (both durable and non-durable), business services, utilities, insurance, and the food and beverage industry. Typically, the firm commits between $1 million and $20 million to its portfolio companies. Specific investment ranges and maturities are as follows: Senior Secured Term Loans: $2 million to $20 million, with maturities of five to seven years. Second Lien Term Loans: $5 million to $15 million, maturing in six to eight years. Senior Unsecured Loans: $5 million to $23 million, with terms of six to eight years. Mezzanine Loans: $5 million to $15 million, maturing in seven to ten years. Equity Investments: $1 million to $5 million. The firm generally seeks companies generating EBITDA between $5 million and $25 million. However, for its debt investments, BCIC broadens its scope to include middle-market firms with EBITDA ranging from $10 million to $50 million, or those carrying total debt between $25 million and $150 million (or both criteria). BCIC is flexible in its equity participation, taking minority, majority, or even controlling stakes, frequently partnering alongside private equity sponsors.
Prospect Capital Corporation operates as a Business Development Company (BDC), providing capital solutions primarily to middle-market private companies. It offers a comprehensive suite of financing solutions across various business stages, including mature entities, later-stage and emerging growth firms, and those undergoing leveraged buyouts, refinancing, acquisitions, recapitalizations, or turnarounds. The firm also allocates capital for growth initiatives, development projects, capital expenditures, and actively participates in marketplace lending and bridge transactions. Its investment approach is highly diversified, encompassing a broad range of debt instruments such as secured, senior, unitranche, first-lien, second-lien, and private debt, alongside mezzanine debt and equity investments in privately held and smaller publicly traded enterprises. The company also invests in specialized areas like subordinated debt tranches of collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and cash flow term loans. A significant portion of its activities involves real estate investments, particularly within the multi-family residential asset class. Prospect Capital's capital deployment supports various scenarios, including debt financings for private equity sponsors, corporate acquisitions, dividend recapitalizations, growth funding, bridge loans, and real estate financings. It specifically targets small to medium-sized private companies, distinguishing itself from those focusing on larger public corporations. Geographically, the firm primarily invests in companies located in the United States and Canada. While maintaining a broad industry focus, with pronounced expertise in the energy and industrial sectors, its investment scope encompasses a vast range of industries such as aerospace and defense, chemicals, consumer services, electronics, financial services, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, media, and utilities, among many others. This extensive list also includes conglomerate services, ecological, machinery, pharmaceuticals, retail, software, specialty minerals, textiles and leather, transportation, oil and gas production, coal production, materials, industrials, consumer discretionary, pipeline, storage, power generation and distribution, renewable and clean energy, oilfield services, food and beverage, education, business services, and other select sectors. For individual transactions, the fund typically commits between $10 million and $500 million. It seeks companies with an EBITDA ranging from $5 million to $150 million, sales values between $25 million and $500 million, and enterprise values from $5 million to $1,000 million. For larger opportunities, Prospect Capital actively participates in co-investments. Furthermore, it pursues opportunities for control-oriented acquisitions by deploying capital across various tiers of a company's capital structure and engages in flexible deal structures, including sole, agented, club, or syndicated transactions, often focusing on both primary origination and secondary loan portfolios.
Funding rounds, acquisitions, new executives, launches and expansions, each with a two-line summary and a link to the source. One short email a day, only when there is news.
Free: up to 5 companies, daily. Subscribers also follow whole sectors and saved filters (M&A in Israel, AI funding…), get instant alerts, in-app notifications and signed webhooks, and open the full profile behind every name. Subscribe →
Something wrong or missing about Capital Southwest Corporation? Suggest a correction
Post the link and the card appears automatically — each network fetches the image itself.