As used in this article, the following terms have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, unless the context in which the term is used clearly requires another meaning or a specific different definition is provided:

(a) "Authority" means the West Virginia economic development authority, provided for in article fifteen, chapter thirty-one of this code.

(b) "Capital base" means equity capital or net worth.

(c) "Certified West Virginia capital company" means:

(1) A West Virginia business development corporation created pursuant to article fourteen, chapter thirty-one of this code; or

(2) A profit or nonprofit entity organized and existing under the laws of this state, created for the purpose of making venture or risk capital available to qualified investments that has been certified by the authority.

(d) "Qualified investment" means a debt or equity financing of a West Virginia business, but only if the business is engaged in one or more of the following activities: Manufacturing; agricultural production or processing; forestry production or processing; mineral production or processing, except for conventional oil and gas exploration; service industry; transportation; research and development of products or processes associated with any of the activities previously enumerated above; tourism; computer software development companies engaged in the creation of computer software; and wholesale or retail distribution activities within the state. The investment by a West Virginia capital company in purchases of property to be leased by it, as lessor, through a capital lease to a West Virginia business lessee engaged in one of the above enumerated activities is a qualified investment.

(e) "Qualified West Virginia capital company" means a West Virginia capital company that has been designated by the authority as a qualified capital company under the provisions of section six of this article.

(f) "Small business investment company" means a small business investment company licensed by the United States small business investment administration under the federal small business investment act of 1958, 15 U.S.C. §661, et seq., as amended.

(g) "State" means the State of West Virginia.

(h) "Capital lease" means a lease meeting one or more of the following criteria:

(1) The lease transfers ownership of the property to the lessee at the end of the lease term by the lessee's exercise of a purchase option which is de minimis in amount; or

(2) The lease term is equal to seventy-five percent or more of the estimated economic life of the leased property. However, if the beginning of the lease term falls within the last twenty-five percent of the total estimated economic life of the leased property, including earlier years of use, this criterion shall not be used; or

(3) Under generally accepted accounting principles, the lessee cannot treat payments to the capital company as payments under an operating lease; or

(4) For federal income tax purposes, the parties are required to treat payments as amortization of principal and interest.

(i) "Economic development and technology advancement center" or "center" means an economic development and technology advancement center organized and operating under the laws of this state which has been designated by the authority as a qualified economic development and technology advancement center under the provisions of article twelve-a, chapter eighteen-b of this code.