An investment company that invests its shareholders' money in new business ventures that are risky but potentially very profitable.
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            a firm that specializes in financing new ventures with capital supplied by investors interested in speculative or high-risk investments that have the potential to provide them very high rates of return
                                                            
                                                     
                        
                                                
                        
                        
                            a partnership that primarily invests the capital of third party investors in enterprises that are typically too risky for ordinary bank loans