Backers

/ˈbækərz/ noun

Definition

People who support or invest money in a project, person, or business to help it succeed.

Etymology

From the verb 'back' (to support), which comes from Middle English and Old Norse roots meaning 'spine' or 'the back of something.' To back someone originally meant to stand behind them—literally your back supporting theirs.

Kelly Says

Every successful entrepreneur has backers—people who believed in them before success proved them right. Interestingly, venture capital firms study what makes good backers, and they've found that past success often matters less than whether you understand the right moment to invest. Some of the best backers are people who backed failed projects because they learned what not to do.

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