Holberton

What Holberton does

Holberton is a private, San Francisco-headquartered education technology company founded in 2015 that delivers project-based software engineering and digital skills training to learners worldwide. The company operates five distinct program tracks — The Beginner, The Non-Tech, The Career Switcher, The Specialist, and The Entrepreneur — segmented by learner persona, with a stated curriculum of 400+ real-world projects and no-lecture "Build First" methodology. Its technology approach combines AI-Enhanced Learning (positioning AI tools as a learning partner rather than a shortcut), peer-driven collaborative cohorts, and explicit human-skills development to differentiate from traditional lecture-based CS education and from newer self-paced coding platforms.

The business runs a subscription/recurring tuition revenue model, with direct website enrollment as the primary acquisition channel and five regional footprints across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and headcount sits at 11-50 employees. Holberton sells primarily to individual learners and career-switchers rather than to enterprise buyers, but monetizes employer brand equity: partner logos (LinkedIn, Google, Apple, Facebook, Tesla, AWS, Canva, Lockheed Martin, PepsiCo, Sabre, and others) and senior-executive testimonials are used as credibility assets to drive enrollment and signal hiring outcomes, with claimed 92% post-graduation employment and 89% full-time placement. No funding rounds, revenue figures, patents, or certifications are disclosed in the source data.

Name

Holberton

Legal name

Holberton

Website

https://holberton.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Holberton is a private San Francisco-based education technology company that delivers project-based software engineering training through five learner-segmented program tracks, using a no-lecture Build First methodology combined with AI-enhanced, peer-driven learning, and serving individual career-switchers and tech learners globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tech Bootcamp Education

NAICS

Computer Training (611420), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Career Skills Tutoring Platforms (Coding, Data, Business) (EDANAGAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Software Development (Programming, Frameworks, Dev Tools) (EDABAFAA), Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB)

Keywords

• Software engineering training
• Tech bootcamp education
• Project-based learning
• Career switcher programs
• Online coding school

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Education Programs: Holberton generates revenue through tuition fees for its various educational programs including The Career Switcher, The Specialist, The Non-Tech, The Beginner, and The Entrepreneur tracks. Programs are flexible and practical, designed for real-world success.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Holberton sells tuition-based, online software engineering training programs through its learning platform at hbtn.dev. Learners enroll in one of five tracks (The Career Switcher, The Specialist, The Non-Tech, The Beginner, The Entrepreneur) and progress through 400+ real-world projects using a Build First, AI-enhanced, peer-driven methodology designed to produce job-ready software engineers.

Product overview

Holberton is an educational technology platform that offers a portfolio of five distinct learning programs designed to prepare students for careers in software engineering and technology. The core methodology emphasizes project-based learning (Build First approach), AI-enhanced learning, peer-driven collaboration, and human skills development. The programs include The Beginner (introductory), The Non-Tech (for those with no technical background), The Career Switcher (for career transitions), The Specialist (for deepening expertise), and The Entrepreneur (for tech entrepreneurs). The platform also features a blog with student projects, practical course content with 400+ projects, and connections to employer partners including LinkedIn, Canva, Lockheed Martin, Tesla, and AWS. Outcome statistics include 92% alumni employment rate and 89% in full-time positions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Beginner: Programs designed for individuals new to technology
• The Career Switcher
• The Specialist
• The Non-Tech
• The Entrepreneur

Products and services

• The Career Switcher

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of alumni employed after graduation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SantanderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSantander bank logo appears among partner logos, indicating partnership for student financing or employer hiring relationships. Listed as one of the partner companies that hires Holberton graduates.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGoogle logo displayed among partner companies, indicating hiring relationship or educational technology partnership. One of the major tech employers of Holberton graduates.
• AppleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerApple logo shown among partner companies, representing employer partnership for graduate hiring.
• FacebookminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFacebook (Meta) logo displayed among partner companies, indicating hiring relationship for Holberton graduates.
• PlayStationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlayStation (Sony) logo shown among partner companies, representing employer partnership for graduate hiring.
• AWSminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon Web Services logo displayed among partner companies. Alumni Tingru Liu testimonial confirms graduate working at AWS.
• TeslaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTesla logo shown among partner companies, indicating hiring relationship for Holberton graduates in automotive technology.
• CanvaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCanva is a partner company with Software Engineer Matt De Bono testimonial endorsing Holberton graduates. Demonstrates active hiring relationship.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BrainStation: BrainStation offers industry-focused digital skills training including software engineering, with global campuses and corporate training—comparable to Holberton in both consumer and B2B training segments.
• Le Wagon: Le Wagon is a global coding bootcamp with campuses across multiple continents and a project-based curriculum, directly comparable to Holberton's international presence and Build First methodology.
• App Academy: App Academy is a coding bootcamp offering full-stack web development programs with income-share agreement and tuition options, directly competing with Holberton for career-switcher cohorts in the US.
• Flatiron School: Flatiron School is a US-based software engineering and data science bootcamp offering project-based, immersive programs with similar career-switcher and specialist tracks, serving as Holberton's most direct comparable peer.
• Springboard: Springboard offers online career-focused tech training with mentor support and job guarantees in software engineering and data science, directly competing for online career-switcher students.
• CodeSmith: CodeSmith is a selective software engineering bootcamp emphasizing JavaScript and full-stack development with project-based learning and career support, overlapping Holberton's specialist and career-switcher offerings.
• Fullstack Academy: Fullstack Academy is a US coding bootcamp offering immersive software engineering programs with strong employer placement focus, closely comparable to Holberton's career outcomes positioning.
• Hack Reactor: Hack Reactor is an immersive software engineering bootcamp known for its project-based, peer-driven learning model—structurally similar to Holberton's methodology and target student profile.

Broad incumbents

• Coursera: Coursera partners with universities and companies to deliver online tech certificates and degrees, serving as a broad incumbent in the same online professional tech training category as Holberton.

Emerging players

• freeCodeCamp: freeCodeCamp provides free, self-paced software engineering and certification curricula online, serving as a free alternative that competes for the same beginner and career-switcher learners Holberton targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HolbertonHQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Holberton