seed money

American  

noun

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

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seed money British  

noun

1. money used for the establishment of an enterprise

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Etymology

Origin of seed money

First recorded in 1940–45

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seed money

A24 was founded in 2012 with seed money from investment firm Guggenheim Partners, where co-founder Daniel Katz had worked.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

Philanthropists, employers and businesses offered additional seed money for these accounts, including Michael and Susan Dell, who pledged $6.25 billion in cash to the accounts of children meeting age and geographic benchmarks.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

Playway has “stakes in hundreds of games” being developed in Poland, as it provides seed money to smaller developers in return for high ownership stakes when products are released,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 3, 2026

There have now been 7 million sign-ups, and 1.7 million of those accounts are eligible for the $1,000 in seed money, according to fresh figures from the Treasury Department.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

“Give up what? We ain’t got nothing. Nothing but the seed money, two dollars.”

From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison

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