Fullstack Academy Acquires Chicago-based Coding School, The Starter League

CHICAGO and NEW YORK, March 16, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Fullstack Academy [fullstackacademy.com], an industry leader in immersive coding education, has acquired Chicago-based coding school, The Starter League [starterleague.com]. This is the first acquisition for New York City-based Fullstack Academy, and a significant step in its goal to empower more people to pursue their dream careers in software development.

"We knew the time was right when we met Neal (Sales-Griffin, CEO & co-founder) and Mike (McGee, co-founder)," said David Yang, CEO of Fullstack Academy. "We have long been inspired by The Starter League, the original coding bootcamp, and its dedication to creating this space. The opportunity to build on the work of this pioneer was too good to pass up. We knew that combining the brand, reach, and curricula of Fullstack Academy and The Starter League, would allow us to make a bigger difference to more people."

"With Fullstack Academy, we have the opportunity to scale our dream of teaching the world to code," said Neal Sales-Griffin. "I have been watching Fullstack Academy since they launched at Y Combinator's demo day in 2012. Their mission always resonated with Mike and me. It soon became clear that they are the right partner to help us teach more people to solve meaningful problems with software. We're excited to partner with Fullstack Academy to change the lives and careers of technologists in the most amazing city in the world."

The coding bootcamp space is seeing explosive growth. Course Report, in its 2015 market size report, forecasted 16,056 students to graduate from coding schools in 2015, a 138% increase from 6,740 students in 2014. Coding bootcamps were expected to generate $172MM in tuition revenue in 2015, up 231% from $52MM in 2014. With nearly 100 full-time coding schools, many are expecting a consolidation in the space.

The Starter League pioneered the field of intensive and immersive coding education. Backed by Basecamp [basecamp.com] (birthplace of Ruby on Rails), The Starter League graduated students with a strong entrepreneurial streak. Alumni went on to found scores of companies, including WeDeliver(acquired), ReliefWatch, BallotReady, Launchpad Lab, Know Your Company, as well as future coding bootcamps, such as MakerSquare(acquired), Bitmaker, and DevPoint Labs.

Fullstack Academy has a reputation for high-quality graduates and boasts excellent employment outcomes - its graduates work at a wide range of organizations from startups to tech pioneers, including Google, Dropbox, and Venmo (more on hiring outcomes here). Employers such as Priceline, Goldman Sachs, and American Express, have returned for more graduates. The founders of Fullstack Academy are personally excited to bring similar results to Chicago and expect the move to make a material contribution to Chicago's top-tier of tech talent.

"David and I have had a personal connection to the state of Illinois from our college days, and have been looking for a way to give back to the community," said Nimit Maru, CTO of Fullstack Academy. "Launching Fullstack Academy in Chicago is the crystallization of that dream. The city has impressed us repeatedly with its bold commitments to education and technology, including its recent decision to make computer science a graduation requirement for public schools."

Fullstack Academy will launch in Chicago with its flagship, the Full-time Software Engineering Immersive, and Summer of Code, an immersive program for college students. It expects to launch its part-time version of the immersive, Flex Immersive, as well as its entry-level programs, JavaScript Jumpstart and Introduction to Front-End Development, later in the year. 

It is also of note that Fullstack Academy will launch at 1871 [1871.com], the premier hub in Chicago for digital, technology, and entrepreneurship.

"1871 is constantly expanding its educational resources to provide meaningful learning opportunities to the Chicago tech and entrepreneurial communities," said 1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman. "Fullstack Academy prepares its students to enter the tech economy by providing an advanced, relevant curriculum that is constantly updated based on current tech trends. This program is a significant addition to 1871's educational opportunities, and we are thrilled to welcome them to Chicago and to 1871."

Fullstack Academy is currently accepting applications to its Full-time Software Engineering Immersive. The remote component of this program, Foundations, will start in May, while on-premise classes will start in June. Interested students can apply at fullstackacademy.com/apply.

To learn more about Fullstack Academy's acquisition of The Starter League, visit fullstackacademy.com/starter-league for press assets visit fullstackacademy.com/press

About The Starter League
Neal Sales-Griffin and Mike McGee founded The Starter League [starterleague.com] in 2011 with the vision to build a type of hands-on coding school previously unheard of. Over the last five years, Mike and Neal have succeeded in creating a unique curriculum that has helped launch startups and businesses in more than 40 states and 15 countries, and over 1,500 tech careers worldwide. The Starter League was the original "coding bootcamp" and helped define the space - there are now close to 100 bootcamps around the globe.

About Fullstack Academy
Fullstack Academy [fullstackacademy.com] is an award-winning, immersive coding school based in New York City. Backed by Y Combinator, co-founders David Yang and Nimit Maru leveraged their experience at Yahoo, Gilt Groupe, and Bloomspot (acquired by JP Morgan Chase in 2011) to create an elite program centered on fullstack JavaScript and emerging technologies. Fullstack Academy graduates enjoy excellent outcomes, with alumni working at startups as well as technology leaders, including Google, Dropbox, and Venmo. In January 2016, Fullstack Academy launched Grace Hopper Academy [gracehopper.com], the first all-women coding bootcamp in New York City, and the first in the country to offer a deferred tuition model.

CONTACT: Ryan Sommer, 1-646-220-4256, press@fullstackacademy.com

SOURCE Fullstack Academy