School startup Ironhack raises $20 million to "disrupt the way we learn about technology"

Ironhack, the Spain-born international tech school, has secured $20 million in a Series B funding round led by Lumos Capital, with participation from Endeavor’s Catalyst Fund, as well as prior backers such as Brighteye and Creas.

With campus locations in nine cities and across the US, Europe and Latin America, Ironhack stakes its claim as one of the world’s top-ranked technology education institutions. The startup currently offers 'intensive bootcamps and immersive courses' in Web development, UX/UI design, data analytics and cybersecurity, among others.

Since 2013, Ironhack says it has graduated more than 8,000 students worldwide and helped hundreds of companies hire top talent, including the likes of Visa, Capgemini, Siemens and Santander.

According to the company’s last published student outcomes data, 89% of its students have managed to land a job within 180 days of graduation.

From the press release:

"Digital transformation has rapidly accelerated by necessity amidst COVID-19, and with it, the competition for top tech talent has never been greater. At the same time, the pandemic has given rise to a need for resilient jobs in the new work-from-anywhere economy. With the pandemic estimated to increase global unemployment by 25 million by the International Labour Organization, the world needs more pathways to sustainable employment and modalities that support remote learning options for maximum student flexibility."

And that's what Ironhack wants to capitalise on in a (post-)COVID-19 world.

The company says a portion of the growth round will drive new courses and program offerings, and to expand its corporate training and development programs, including talent acquisition and re-skilling.

On top of that, the company will increase its investment in remote learning, providing students with greater access to an education in tech.

"We believe that practical skills training, a supportive global community and career development programs can give everyone, regardless of their education or employment history, the ability to write their stories through technology," said Ariel Quiñones, co-founder of Ironhack. “Lumos Capital, the Endeavor Catalyst Fund, and our partners at Brighteye and Creas share our commitment to that vision. Their support gives us the operational and financial strength to not only empower more people, in more places, but to be a strategic partner to some of the most respected companies in the world."