By definition there is not a single business that is profitable from day one. A plumbing business isn't profitable until the tools and vehicles have been paid for.
The important consideration is the size of the deficit (in time or money or ownership) a company accepts and what they gain in exchange. And the bigger the deficit, the higher the stakes.
technically, I don't think that's quite true; a company can book profits even as it's paying off a loan which is bigger than the profits or even than total turnover as long as (operational cash flow) - (interest payments) > 0.
I think it's perfectly possible for, say, a company funded by VCs to be profitable from the start of operations, since the money that bought the equity isn't expected to be paid back.
The important consideration is the size of the deficit (in time or money or ownership) a company accepts and what they gain in exchange. And the bigger the deficit, the higher the stakes.