entrepreneur investment & finance definition

A person who starts his or her own business. The entrepreneur assumes the risk but stands to gain the profits. The entrepreneur may continue to operate the business, or may decide to sell out to a larger competitor or sell the company to the public in an initial public offering.

A person who starts a business from scratch. The risk, as well as the possible reward, for an entrepreneur is very high. Funding for the business may come from personal funds, cash advances on credit cards, or loans from friends or family. If the entrepreneur has a technology-related business, he or she may look for funding from angels, who are wealthy investors who fund start-up businesses, or venture capitalists.