Mezzanine fund Definition
A typical mezzanine investment consists of a debt or debt-like instrument, paired with an equity “sweetener.” The equity component of the investment gives the mezzanine lender upside potential, while the debt component -- which generates steady interest payments and ranks senior to the company's common stock -- provides a measure of downside risk protection. The most common formulation is a note which may provide for both current-pay cash interest and pay-in-kind, or PIK, interest, paired with warrants to acquire stock of the borrower. Mezzanine investments can be made using other types of securities as well, such as with preferred stock in place of a debt instrument.