Translation guide
Initial capital used to start a business, project, or venture. In Japanese, this is expressed with specific financial terms or descriptive phrases.
Money provided to start a new business, often from investors or founders.
Direct loanword from English, widely understood in business and startup contexts.
スタートアップにシードマネーを提供する。
Provide seed money to a startup.
Literally 'founding capital', a common term for money used to start a business.
創業資金を集めるのに苦労した。
I struggled to raise seed money.
Means 'initial capital', used for early-stage funding of any project.
プロジェクトの初期資金が不足している。
We lack seed money for the project.
Specifically refers to capital for opening a business, like a store or restaurant.
開業資金を銀行から借りた。
I borrowed seed money from the bank.
The specific early investment round in startups, often called 'seed round'.
Loanword for 'seed round', standard in venture capital contexts.
シードラウンドで1億円を調達した。
We raised 100 million yen in seed money.
Means 'seed investment', often used interchangeably with seed money.
シード投資を受けて事業を拡大した。
We expanded the business with seed money.
創業資金 is broader, covering any business startup. 開業資金 is often used for physical store openings or professional practices (e.g., clinic, restaurant).
IT企業の創業資金
seed money for an IT company
レストランの開業資金
seed money for opening a restaurant
シードマネー is a katakana loanword and sounds modern/technical. It's best for startups, tech, and venture capital. In traditional business settings, 創業資金 or 初期資金 may be more appropriate.