seed money

noun

1. capital for the initial stages of a new business or other enterprise, especially for the initial operating costs.

seed money

noun

1. money used for the establishment of an enterprise

Word History and Origins

Origin of seed money¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Famously, Ted Turner in 1997 founded the United Nations Foundation with a generous $1 billion in seed money.

From The Daily Beast

Their seed money came from a smuggling operation that they ran prior to the 1997 handover of Hong Kong from the UK to China.

From The Daily Beast

He has said that an anonymous donor has contributed “seed money” and he is presently looking for “avenues of funding.”

From The Daily Beast

The 30-year-old tradition has taken to Kickstarter for charitable seed money.

From The Daily Beast

Hoodie-wearing 20-something startup CEOs celebrate seed-money investments with rounds of Jäger bombs.

From The Daily Beast

Barclay had figured out the seed money from the sale of the mortgages.

From Project Gutenberg