Okuzeka
Entrepreneurship & Startups vocabulary · Fundraising & Investors

Bootstrap

Meaning in entrepreneurship & startups, with examples

/ˈbuːtstræp/verbCore term

In entrepreneurship & startups, bootstrap means: To start and grow a company with your own savings and the money it earns from customers, without raising funds from outside investors.

In Turkish: öz kaynakla büyümek, dış yatırım almadan büyümek

How it is used

Often used as bootstrapped (a bootstrapped company) or bootstrapping. Bootstrapped founders keep full control and ownership but usually grow more slowly and watch costs closely. Some companies bootstrap first and raise money later.

Example sentences

  1. We bootstrapped for three years with consulting income before taking any outside money.

  2. As a bootstrapped company, we only hire when revenue allows it.

Common collocations

  • bootstrapped company
  • bootstrap a startup
  • bootstrapping founders
  • stay bootstrapped
  • venture capitalMoney that professional funds invest in young, fast-growing companies in exchange for equity, accepting high risk in the hope that a few big winners pay for the losses.
  • revenueThe total money a company earns from selling its products or services in a period, before any costs are taken away.
  • profitableMaking more money than it spends, so that a business has money left after paying all its costs over a period.
  • cash flowThe movement of money into and out of a business over a period. Positive cash flow means more money is coming in than going out.
  • angel investorA wealthy individual who invests their own money in very young startups, usually in exchange for equity, and often gives advice and contacts as well.

More terms: Fundraising & Investors

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