What Code to Inspire does

Code to Inspire (CTI) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by Afghan refugee Fereshteh Forough, operating as the first advanced computer coding school in Afghanistan. The organization delivers free coding and technology education programs to Afghan women and girls from its base in Herat, Afghanistan, with a small in-country team (1-10 employees) including Project Manager, Project Officer, Finance Officer, and specialized technical mentors for mobile application development and full-stack web development.

Its core offering is a curriculum covering Python programming, mobile application development, full-stack web development, and graphic design, delivered through in-person training programs supplemented by mentorship and professional development. Students produce real artifacts, with mobile applications and games published on Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Since inception, the organization reports 1,420 graduates, 300 partner-program scholarships, $116,000 in student-completed paid projects, and outcome metrics including 76% of graduates earning over $100 per month from tech careers and 91% reporting that the program aids job placement.

The business model is donation-driven rather than revenue-generating: all educational services are provided at no cost to students, with funding sourced from individual donors, charitable contributions, corporate partners (Google, Cisco Foundation, The Asia Foundation, Binance Charity, CCSI Global, GitHub, Epic Games, Ripple, Consensys, and others), and cryptocurrency donations facilitated through The Giving Block and direct wallet addresses. The organization accepts donations via Network for Good, PayPal, and multiple cryptocurrencies. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on volunteer mentorship, outreach, and CSR partnerships rather than traditional sales channels.

Name

Code to Inspire

Legal name

Code to Inspire

Website

https://codetoinspire.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Code to Inspire is a nonprofit founded in 2015 that provides free coding and technology education to Afghan women and girls in Herat, Afghanistan, funded by donations and corporate partnerships, with 1,420 graduates to date.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education Services

NAICS

Computer Training (61142), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Coding & Programming Learning Platforms (EDAFANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Introductory Coding (Block-Based & Beginner) (EDAMACAA), Text-Based Programming (Python, Java, C/C++) (EDAMACAB), Web Development (HTML/CSS/JavaScript, Front-End/Back-End) (EDAMACAC), Mobile App Development (iOS/Android) (EDAMACAD)

Keywords

• Coding education
• Nonprofit training
• Mobile app development
• Women in tech
• Graphic design education

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Code to Inspire generates revenue primarily through donations from individuals, organizations, and corporate partners. The organization accepts donations via Network for Good, PayPal, and cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and other major cryptocurrencies). These donations fund student education, technology equipment, software licenses, and infrastructure improvements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Code to Inspire provides free coding and technology education to Afghan women and girls, with curriculum covering Python programming, mobile application development, full-stack web development, and graphic design. Students receive hands-on training at the Herat, Afghanistan facility from technical mentors, plus access to technology equipment, software licenses, and professional mentorship. Graduates create mobile apps and games published on Apple App Store and Google Play Store, with the program producing $116,000 in paid projects by alumni.

Product overview

Code to Inspire is a nonprofit coding bootcamp and educational platform for Afghan women, established in 2015 by Fereshteh Forough. The organization operates as a single unified educational offering consisting of free coding and technology education programs combined with practical project-based learning. The core product is the Coding and Technology Education Programs, which encompasses courses in mobile application development, full-stack web development, Python programming, and graphic design. Students create and publish mobile apps and games as part of their learning, with finished products distributed through Apple App Store and Google Play Store. The organization also provides mentorship, professional training, and job placement support to graduates, with 76% of students earning over $100 per month from their skills.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coding and Technology Education Programs Free educational programs teaching Afghan women and girls coding, mobile application development, full-stack web development, Python programming, and graphic design, delivered at CTI's Herat facility with technical mentors and supported by software licenses, technology equipment, and job placement support.
• Student-Created Mobile Apps and Games Mobile applications and games developed by Code to Inspire students, published on Apple App Store and Google Play Store to showcase student work and contribute to paid project revenue of $116,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1420 students graduated from coding education programs
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Asia FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational development organization supporting CTI's work in Afghanistan through strategic partnerships and funding.
• Binance CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCryptocurrency exchange foundation that hired CTI graduate Momtaz Nabizada as Graphic Designer intern for six months, providing real-world work experience and career opportunities.
• CCSI GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner that has worked with CTI's web designers and illustrators for over three years, providing ongoing project work and professional development opportunities.
• The Giving BlockminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCryptocurrency donation platform enabling CTI to accept cryptocurrency donations, listed on their platform for cryptocurrency donors.
• Epic GamesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGame development company supporting CTI's technology education programs with resources and potentially software tools.
• GitHubminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoftware development platform providing tools and resources for CTI's coding education curriculum.
• Keihan FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation that partnered with CTI on an animation project concerning refugee women, commending the high quality of CTI student work.
• Career SetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer development platform partner helping CTI students with job placement and professional opportunities.
• NetlinksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnology partner providing support and resources for CTI's educational programs.
• Data GuardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing data protection and security resources for CTI operations.
• Heray SpiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness partner supporting CTI's mission and community initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Andela: Technology company that trains and connects African software developers to global employers. Comparable in its model of building technical skills in underserved geographies and placing graduates into paid remote tech work, though Andela operates as a for-profit talent marketplace.
• Resilient Coders: Nonprofit that trains young people from under-resourced communities in web development and helps them secure tech jobs. Comparable in its free, full-stack web development curriculum and outcome focus (employment placement), though primarily US-based.

Broad incumbents

• freeCodeCamp: Large-scale nonprofit offering free self-paced coding education (web development, Python, data science) with a global learner base. Comparable curriculum and free-to-student model, though it is a self-serve platform rather than an in-person program and serves a much broader audience.
• Generation (by McKinsey): Global nonprofit offering free technology and job-skills training to unemployed youth, with a strong female participation focus. Comparable in delivering free coding/digital training to underserved populations and connecting graduates to jobs, but operates across a much broader portfolio of professions and geographies.

Direct peers

• Girls Who Code: Nonprofit focused on closing the gender gap in technology by teaching girls computer science. Shares CTI's core thesis that girls need dedicated programming education to access tech careers, and operates with a similar curriculum-plus-mentorship model.
• SheCodes: Coding education provider focused on teaching women front-end development and programming. Directly comparable in its female-targeted coding curriculum, mentorship-driven model, and global mission to increase women's participation in tech careers.
• Black Girls CODE: Nonprofit providing coding and technology education to girls of color in the US. Directly comparable mission of training underrepresented female populations in programming to enter tech careers, with a similar donation-driven funding model and community-led GTM motion.
• Technovation: Nonprofit running a global technology entrepreneurship program for girls, where participants build mobile apps to solve community problems. Closely aligned with CTI's mobile app development curriculum and female-empowerment-through-coding thesis, with operations across multiple developing countries.

Regional players

• Africa Code Academy: Tech training nonprofit focused on teaching coding to youth across Africa, particularly underserved populations. Comparable in its free coding curriculum and mission to expand tech access in developing regions, though geographically distinct from CTI's Afghanistan focus.

Others

• Digital Grassroots: Nonprofit teaching digital literacy and coding skills to youth in underserved communities globally. Comparable in its nonprofit-driven digital education mission and youth-empowerment thesis, though smaller in scale and more focused on digital literacy than full software development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Code to Inspire