Horizon Technology Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: HRZN) (“Horizon”), an affiliate of Monroe Capital, announced today the formation of a new joint venture with CR Financial Holdings, Inc. (“CRFH”), the holding company for Roth Capital Partners, LLC (“Roth”). The joint venture will provide growth capital financing solutions to small- and micro-cap public companies based primarily in the U.S.
Horizon and CRFH will make initial capital commitments totaling $100 million. The joint venture intends to leverage its initial capital by entering into warehouse credit facilities from time to time. Governance and investment decisions will be made by a four-person board and a four-person investment committee, with Horizon and CRFH equally represented on each. The joint venture expects to be supported on larger investments by Monroe Capital, a leading private credit investment firm with approximately $24 billion in assets under management and over 500 individual portfolio companies as of January 1. 2026. The joint venture expands Horizon’s focus on providing capital in the form of secured loans to venture capital and private equity-backed companies and publicly traded companies.
Horizon brings more than two decades of experience as a leading provider of growth capital lending solutions, while CRFH, through its subsidiary Roth, a full-service investment bank, contributes established capital markets expertise and relationships across the public-company sector. Together, they form a partnership well suited to delivering growth-focused debt capital to small‑ and micro-cap public companies.
“We are excited to partner with CRFH on this new joint venture, which we believe will provide publicly traded, small- and micro-cap companies a compelling option for growth financing,” said Mike Balkin, Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Technology Finance Corporation. “The joint venture will target a multi-billion-dollar market opportunity that we believe is currently underserved. We will primarily focus on providing growth capital financing solutions in the $5-25 million range, with the ability to upsize as necessary, with the continued support and backing of Monroe Capital. Importantly, the joint venture is fully aligned with Horizon’s long-term strategy to expand our capacity to support innovative, high‑growth companies, increase our scale, and drive long‑term value for our shareholders.”
“Our new joint venture with Horizon provides us an excellent opportunity to expand our capabilities and offer additional capital solutions to publicly traded companies,” said Byron Roth, Chairman of CRFH. “We have a long history in this market, and we are thrilled to be partnering with the highly respected Horizon team. We expect our new joint venture will be an active player in growth financing for publicly traded companies.”
