co-founder

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "co-founder" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a person who, along with one or more others, establishes a company or organization. Example: "She is a co-founder of the startup that has revolutionized the tech industry."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He's my co-founder.

The Guardian

Elon Musk, co-founder of PayPal.

The Economist

Co-founder Global Voices.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Co-founder of Viz.ai.

Stanford University

I'm a co-founder at Hunch.

The New York Times

(Mr. Bender was a co-founder).

The New York Times - Science

A Pinterest co-founder is stepping down.

The New York Times

Co-Founder, Music Theatre, Wales.

The Guardian

Eileen Gallagher, co-founder, Shed Productions.

The Guardian

Co-founder Guildford Adventure Play Centre.

The Guardian

Allan Miller, Co-Founder Cynthia Elliott, Exec.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Clearly state if the person is a "co-founder" of the entire organization or just a specific project inside the organization.

Common error

Avoid assuming all "co-founders" have equal responsibilities or equity. Clarify the specific role and contributions of each co-founder to prevent misunderstandings or misrepresentations.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "co-founder" functions as a noun, specifically a common noun, identifying an individual who jointly establishes an organization or business. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is correct and usable in written English.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

58%

Academia

21%

Formal & Business

21%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "co-founder" is a grammatically sound and frequently used noun that identifies an individual who jointly establishes an organization. As Ludwig AI suggests, its usage spans various contexts, particularly in news, academia, and formal business settings. When using "co-founder", ensure you accurately represent the individual's role and contributions, avoiding assumptions of equal contributions. Alternatives like "founding partner" or "joint founder" can be used for variety. Overall, it's a versatile and essential term for describing collaborative entrepreneurial endeavors.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

founding partner

Replaces "co-founder" with a term emphasizing partnership in the establishment of an entity.

joint founder

Uses "joint" to explicitly indicate shared founding responsibilities.

founding member

Emphasizes membership within the group of founders.

initial architect

Highlights the role of designing and building the initial structure.

founding contributor

Focuses on the contributions made during the establishment phase.

originator

Highlights the individual who initially conceived the idea.

creator

A more general term emphasizing the act of creating the entity.

initiator

Highlights the role of starting or initiating the entity.

developer

Focuses on the development and building of the entity.

establishing member

Highlights the active role in establishing the entity.

FAQs

How do I use "co-founder" in a sentence?

Use "co-founder" to describe someone who helped establish an organization or business. For example, "She is the "co-founder" of a successful tech startup".

What's a good alternative to "co-founder"?

Depending on the context, you could use "founding partner", "joint founder", or "founding member" as alternatives.

Is it correct to say "co-founder and CEO"?

Yes, it's perfectly acceptable. It indicates that the person was involved in founding the company and also holds the position of Chief Executive Officer. The sentence "Robert Grisdale is CEO and co-founder of Grand Scheme" from Ludwig confirms this.

What is the difference between a "founder" and a "co-founder"?

A "founder" is the primary person who establishes something, while a "co-founder" is someone who establishes it together with one or more other people. Therefore a co-founder is also a founder.