a16z’s new academy wants to be the anti-college for aspiring tech founders
For a long time, becoming a successful tech CEO seemed to be inexplicably linked to dropping out of college. Bill Gates and Steve Jobs famously did so, followed by some of today’s most notable leaders like Mark Zuckerberg and Sam Altman. But a new project announced by venture capitalist firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is offering a new alternative to college: an academy for recent high school…
The venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has introduced a new academy aimed at aspiring tech founders, offering an alternative to traditional college education. The Horowitz Andreessen Academy, or simply the Academy, opened its doors on September 22 and is set to provide a full-time, in-person learning experience for recent high school graduates aged 18-22.
The school is based in San Francisco and has raised $42 million in funding, with notable investors including Shopify, DoorDash, Palantir, and Alpha School. Applications for the founding class are now open, with the first year's tuition reportedly free for students. The Academy's CEO, Gagan Biyani, emphasizes the school's focus on student-led projects and connections with the school's prestigious founding partners, such as Anduril, Anthropic, Coinbase, Google, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Palantir, Replit, and Stripe.
In addition to its impressive partners, the Academy boasts a roster of high-profile teaching staff and mentors, including Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Mira Murati. The school's curriculum revolves around three main components: co-ops at Silicon Valley companies, expert-led courses, and personal projects undertaken by students. These courses delve deep into various aspects of tech innovation, such as "Origins and Innovations in Digital Computing 1940-2025" and "The Craft of Selling."
The Academy's location in San Francisco is strategically chosen, as it attracts tech industry leaders and facilitates engaging conversations with influential figures like Jamie Dimon and David Solomon. Prospective students must submit high school transcripts, test scores, a short video, and a portfolio, with those accepted expected to begin classes in September 2027.
Like traditional college applications, the a16z-led program offers an early decision application with a November 5 deadline.
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