01 Founders

What 01 Founders does

01 Founders London is a tuition-free, peer-to-peer software engineering school operating as a subsidiary of 01Talent and as the UK node of the global 01Edu network. Founded in London (legal entity date 2023), the organisation delivers a flagship 24-month Fellowship that takes adult learners from zero coding experience to job-ready software engineers without teachers or lectures. The programme is built on the 01Edu pedagogical framework (inspired by 42 Paris, 2013), operationalised as a 3-step learning loop — Get Challenge → Research & Build → Peer Review — and capped at 40 students per cohort to preserve peer-review dynamics. Students complete 2,400+ hours of hands-on coding and ship 65+ production applications across full-stack web, AI/ML, cybersecurity, blockchain, cloud/DevOps, and mobile, working in a tech stack of Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Rust, React, SQL, Docker, and major cloud platforms. The single campus at Longford St, London NW1 3HB operates 9am–9pm daily and runs a 4-step merit-based admissions process with quarterly (January/May) intake.

The product portfolio extends beyond the flagship Fellowship: a 2-week AI Starter course introduces beginners to peer-learning by building an OpenAI-API-powered chatbot, and a 6-week Getting Started with GIT course teaches version control fundamentals; both are tuition-free for eligible Londoners. Reported cohort discipline includes a 63% completion rate (60–70% range) and a 90% graduate employment rate across the broader 01Edu network. Supporting institutional and strategic partners include 01Edu (curriculum/methodology), Capital City College Group (educational delivery and compliance), and Founders Forum (founding partner). Leadership comprises Jackie Chapman (CEO), Brent Hoberman and Kesiah Valkin (founders), Salaheddine Hadj Said (Head of Tech and Pedagogy), Godfrey Orlandi (Vocational Coach, ex-42 Paris and Makers Academy), and Stefan Cornea (TechOps).

The revenue model is structurally distinct from typical bootcamps. There are zero tuition fees and no income share agreements for eligible UK-resident learners earning under £28,860/year. Funding flows from hiring partners — employers who access trained graduates — making the model B2B2C in nature and dependent on continued employer demand for the skill profile produced. Pricing signals across the short-course portfolio also indicate fully-funded (or zero-cost) positioning for eligible individuals. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via online applications and the physical campus, supported by word-of-mouth via the global 01Edu community; SEO/organic search around terms such as 'free coding school London' and 'coding bootcamp free' is the primary demand-generation lever. No revenue figures, traditional VC/PE funding rounds, or hiring-partner identities are publicly disclosed.

Name

01 Founders

Legal name

01 Founders London

Website

https://01founders.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

01 Founders London operates a tuition-free, 24-month peer-to-peer software engineering Fellowship for adult career changers, funded by hiring partners and delivered through the global 01Edu network in London.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Software Engineering Education

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

STEM & Coding Learning Centers (Robotics, Programming, Engineering) (EDANAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB), Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL), Web Development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Front-End/Back-End) (EDAMACAC)

Keywords

• Software engineering education
• Coding bootcamp
• Peer-to-peer learning
• Full-stack development training
• AI developer training

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hiring Partner Funding: The programme is funded by hiring partners who value the skills graduates gain. No tuition fees from students, no income share agreements. Revenue comes from employer partners who gain access to trained software engineers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

01 Founders operates a tuition-free, peer-to-peer software engineering school in London where adult learners progress from zero coding experience to job-ready developers through project-based learning. The flagship 24-month Fellowship has students deploy 65+ production-ready applications across full-stack web, AI/ML, cybersecurity, blockchain, cloud/DevOps, and mobile, complemented by short discovery courses (AI Starter, Getting Started with GIT) and supported by hiring-partner funding.

Product overview

01 Founders offers a portfolio of educational programmes based on the peer-to-peer learning methodology. The flagship offering is the 24-month Software Engineering Fellowship, a tuition-free programme where students build 65+ production applications. Supporting this core programme are shorter courses: the 2-week AI Starter discovery course for beginners to experience peer-learning and build their first AI chatbot, and the 6-week Getting Started with GIT course teaching version control fundamentals. The programmes use Go, JavaScript/TypeScript, Python, Rust, React, SQL, Docker, and cloud technologies as the technology stack, with the AI Starter specifically integrating OpenAI API for chatbot development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 24-Month Software Engineering Fellowship The flagship 24-month full-time software engineering programme built on the 01Edu peer-to-peer learning methodology. Students progress from zero coding experience to job-ready developers by building 65+ production-ready applications across full-stack web development, AI/ML, cybersecurity, blockchain, cloud/DevOps, and mobile, logging 2,400+ hours of hands-on coding. Free for eligible UK residents earning under £28,860/year.
• Coding: AI Starter A 2-week full-time (30h/week, Monday–Friday on campus) discovery course that lets beginners experience the peer-learning model at no cost. Students build their first AI-powered chatbot using HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and the OpenAI API, serving as an introduction and funnel into the full 24-month Fellowship. Fully funded for eligible Londoners.
• Getting Started with GIT A 6-week part-time (12h/week, 2 days per week on campus) instructor-led course teaching version control fundamentals. Students master Git, GitHub, and command line tools, learning to track file history, manage branches, resolve merge conflicts, and execute multi-branch team repository projects as a capstone. Fully funded for eligible Londoners (unemployed or earning under £27k, right to work in the UK).

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% employment rate for graduates
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• 01EducoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCurriculum partner providing world-leading peer-to-peer pedagogy. 01Edu pioneered the methodology (inspired by 42 Paris in 2013) and provides the proven educational framework that 01 Founders London operates under. Part of the global network of 15+ campuses.
• Capital City College GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner - London's largest further education college group. Provides institutional backing, accreditation pathways, and regulatory compliance support for the 01 Founders London campus.
• Founders ForumflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding Partner. Global community of top tech entrepreneurs providing strategic support, industry connections, and credibility for 01 Founders London.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 42 (42 Paris / 42 Network): 42 Paris is the originator of the peer-to-peer, no-teacher coding pedagogy that 01 Founders explicitly replicates via the 01Edu network. Operates a global network of tuition-free software engineering schools with the same project-based and peer-review model.
• Makers Academy: London-based coding bootcamp (also referenced in 01 Founders team pedigree) that trains career changers in full-stack software engineering. Comparable target segment (career-changers) and product (intensive bootcamp) in the same geography.
• Holberton School: Project-based, peer-learning software engineering school founded by alumni of 42 Paris; runs a global network of campuses with similar tuition-free / income-share arrangements and production portfolio emphasis.
• Le Wagon: Global coding bootcamp with strong London presence, offering full-stack web development and data science bootcamps to career changers. Competes for the same learner persona and hiring-partner relationships.
• Northcoders: UK-based coding bootcamp headquartered in Manchester with full-stack and data engineering programs. Comparable career-changer focus and UK employer-partner network dynamics.
• App Academy: US-based coding bootcamp known for deferred-tuition / income-share agreement models with employer partnerships, directly comparable to 01 Founders' hiring-partner-funded approach.
• Coding Dojo: Global coding bootcamp with a stack-agnostic, full-stack curriculum targeting career changers and developer upskilling. Comparable in length-of-program, learner profile, and employer outcomes focus.

Broad incumbents

• General Assembly: Large, well-established provider of bootcamps and short courses across software engineering, data, and digital skills with a London presence. Operates broadly across multiple disciplines rather than specializing in a single pedagogy.
• Flatiron School: Established US-headquartered coding and data science bootcamp with online and in-person delivery. Targets similar career-changer audience and competes for hiring-partner relationships at scale.

Others

• Founders Forum: Strategic partner (not a competitor) of 01 Founders; a global community of top tech entrepreneurs providing enterprise introductions, hiring-partner connections, and thought-leadership reach that materially shapes 01 Founders' go-to-market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/01-founders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about 01 Founders