Codebar
Codebar is a UK-registered charity that runs free programming workshops and online tutorials for underrepresented groups in tech, delivered across 35+ global chapters by volunteer developer coaches and hosted by partner companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Codebar does
Codebar is a UK-registered charity (charity no. 1187776, operating through codebar Ltd, Company No. 10791813) that runs free programming workshops for underrepresented groups in tech, including women, non-binary, LGBTQ+ members, and other marginalized individuals. Workshops are hosted by partner companies across more than 35 chapters worldwide, with sessions delivered by volunteer professional developer coaches and structured around socializing, a lightning talk, and hands-on coding time. Virtual chapters extend coverage into regions including Central Europe, Nigeria, and East Asia using Discord as the delivery medium.
The organization's product surface is broader than its workshop core. It maintains an open-source tutorials platform (tutorials.codebar.io) covering HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, Git, command line, and version control, plus a job board (jobs.codebar.io), structured courses (courses.codebar.io), a virtual events platform (uncodebar.com), an annual festival, and a podcast and blog under the codebar Stories brand. Technical infrastructure is lightweight: GitHub provides OAuth authentication and hosts the tutorial repository, Slack and Discord serve as community communication channels, and registration requires eligibility verification for students.
Codebar is a volunteer-driven nonprofit with no paid services. Revenue, which is not publicly disclosed, is generated through individual donations (via Enthuse, Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors, and Give as you Live) and corporate sponsorships from host companies such as CGI, Octopus Energy, Artlist, LMU Munich, and the University of Derby. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth, alumni referrals, and chapter ambassadors rather than paid marketing.
Codebar firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Codebar
- Legal name
- codebar Ltd
- Website
- https://codebar.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Codebar is a UK-registered charity that runs free programming workshops and online tutorials for underrepresented groups in tech, delivered across 35+ global chapters by volunteer developer coaches and hosted by partner companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Codebar industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tech Education Nonprofit
- NAICS
- Computer Training (61142), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Coding & Programming Learning Platforms (EDAFANAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Web Development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Front-End/Back-End) (EDAMACAC), Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB), Introductory Coding (Block-Based & Beginner) (EDAMACAA)
Keywords
Where Codebar is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Codebar business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: One-time donations and monthly contributions from individuals supporting the charity's mission to promote diversity in tech
- Corporate Sponsorships: Companies host workshops and/or provide financial sponsorship to support the organization's operations and mission
- Platform Donations: Donations collected through Open Collective, GitHub Sponsors, and Give as you Live platforms
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Codebar product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Codebar is a registered UK charity that runs free, regular programming workshops for underrepresented groups in tech, supported by volunteer developer coaches and partner companies. Its offering also includes a self-paced open-source tutorials platform, structured online courses, a job board connecting students with inclusive employers, an annual codebar Festival, and a virtual events platform (uncodebar). All services are free to eligible students verified through GitHub-based registration.
Product overview
Codebar is a registered UK charity (no. 1187776) operating as a technology education nonprofit. The organization provides a suite of free programming education resources designed to expand career opportunities for underrepresented groups in tech. The core offerings include regular free programming workshops hosted by sponsoring companies worldwide, and a comprehensive tutorials website covering multiple programming languages (HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, PHP, Git). Additional products include a job board connecting students with inclusive employers, structured courses through codebar Courses, the codebar Festival annual event, a podcast and blog for community stories, and virtual event hosting through uncodebar. The organization operates across 36+ chapters globally including London, Brighton, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, and Nairobi.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- codebar Workshops Free, regular programming workshops held in-person at host company venues and virtually via Discord for underrepresented groups in tech, featuring volunteer developer coaching and a lightning talk format.
- codebar Tutorials Self-paced, open-source online tutorials covering HTML/CSS, JavaScript, Ruby, Python, PHP, Git, command line, and mobile development, accessible free to all learners.
- codebar Courses Structured online courses available through courses.codebar.io for students seeking more comprehensive learning paths beyond individual workshops and tutorials.
- codebar Job Board Online job board at jobs.codebar.io connecting codebar students with technology job opportunities at companies committed to diversity and inclusion.
- uncodebar Virtual events platform at uncodebar.com that hosts remote codebar workshops and community gatherings, enabling global participation.
- codebar Festival Annual festival event featuring additional programming workshops, talks, and community engagement activities for the codebar community.
Quantifiable outcome
- 2025 Impact Report published documenting community growth and educational outcomes
Companies that use Codebar
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Codebar technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature2 records
Codebar partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- CGIcoreCGI Nottingham hosts codebar workshops at their Nottingham office, providing venue space for regular programming workshops for underrepresented groups in tech.
- LMU Munich - Pettenkofer School of Public HealthcoreLMU Munich's Pettenkofer School of Public Health hosts Munich chapter workshops, providing venue and support for local tech education initiatives.
- University of DerbycoreUniversity of Derby hosts workshops supporting the Derby chapter, providing academic venue for programming education.
- ArtlistcoreArtlist hosts Norwich chapter workshops at their office, supporting local tech community education.
- Octopus EnergycoreOctopus Energy hosts Brighton chapter workshops, providing venue for free programming education sessions.
- GitHubcoreGitHub provides OAuth authentication for codebar's website and hosts the open-source tutorials repository. GitHub Sponsors program allows supporters to donate to codebar.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Codebar competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Code.org: Nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to computer science in schools, particularly for underrepresented students. Comparable to Codebar because both pursue free, inclusive computer-science education at scale through partnerships and open educational content.
- Girls Who Code: Nonprofit running free coding clubs, summer programs, and alumni programming for girls and non-binary students. Highly comparable to Codebar because both leverage a host-venue model and volunteer mentors to deliver free programming education to underrepresented groups.
- Lesbians Who Tech: Nonprofit community of queer women, non-binary, and trans people in technology running mentorship, events, and coding programs. Comparable to Codebar because both serve LGBTQ+ tech learners with free programming-oriented community and career support.
- Out in Tech: Nonprofit supporting LGBTQ+ people in tech through mentorship, events, and programming workshops. Directly comparable to Codebar because the mission overlap includes serving LGBTQ+ learners with safe, inclusive coding education and community.
- Women Who Code: Nonprofit network providing free programming resources, mentorship, and community to women and non-binary technologists globally. Direct comparator because both organisations target underrepresented groups in tech with free, community-driven coding education and career support.
- FreeCodeCamp: Nonprofit providing free, self-paced programming tutorials, certifications, and a community forum. Comparable to Codebar because both run free coding education programs, open-source learning content, and rely on a community-driven contribution model.
- CoderDojo: Global, volunteer-led movement of free coding clubs for young people aged 7–17. Comparable to Codebar because both organisations operate chapter-based, sponsor-hosted, volunteer-coached free programming workshops with a nonprofit funding model.
- Black Girls Code: Nonprofit offering free workshops, hackathons, and after-school programs to Black girls and other underrepresented youth in tech. Comparable to Codebar because both organisations provide free, in-person coding workshops at sponsor venues with a focus on diversity in tech.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Codebar social profiles
Digital presenceCodebar financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Codebar leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Codebar funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Codebar M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Codebar
What does Codebar do?
Codebar is a registered UK charity that runs free, regular programming workshops for underrepresented groups in tech, supported by volunteer developer coaches and partner companies. Its offering also includes a self-paced open-source tutorials platform, structured online courses, a job board connecting students with inclusive employers, an annual codebar Festival, and a virtual events platform (uncodebar). All services are free to eligible students verified through GitHub-based registration.
Is Codebar a public or private company?
Codebar is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Codebar founded?
Codebar was founded in 2010. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Codebar based?
Codebar is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Codebar make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate Sponsorships and platform Donations.
Who are Codebar's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Code.org, Girls Who Code, Lesbians Who Tech, Out in Tech, Women Who Code, FreeCodeCamp, CoderDojo and Black Girls Code.
Does Codebar have an API?
No public API is recorded for Codebar.
What industry is Codebar in?
Codebar's product category is Tech Education Nonprofit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFANAA, Coding & Programming Learning Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAMACAC, Web Development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Front-End/Back-End). Its NAICS code is 61142 and its SIC code is 8200.