A formal summary of a business venture, or development proposal that is used to inform potential investors about prospects for a business and to persuade investors to commit funds to the project.
A very grand title for a wonderfully complicated document. From the Latin - and nothing to do with gold mining - it's the formal document issued by companies outlining proposals for a business and their requirements to raise capital to fund that venture. P.S. - It's a criminal offence to knowingly make a false statement in a prospectus.