school 21
School 21 (Школа 21) is a Sberbank-funded Russian non-profit operating 21 campuses that delivers free IT vocational training to 11,000 active participants using a peer-to-peer, gamified learning platform, with paid Master's programs, corporate training, and franchise licensing alongside the free core.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMoscow, Russia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What school 21 does
School 21 (Школа 21) is a Russian private non-profit educational organization (ANO) founded in 2018 and wholly funded by Sberbank (ПАО Сбербанк), operating 21 campuses across Russia from Moscow to Anadyry and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. It delivers free IT education to 11,000 active participants spanning 10+ tracks (software development, data science, DevOps/SRE, QA, cybersecurity, UI/UX design, product management, project management, bioinformatics, business/systems analytics, and AI-driven product building), using a peer-to-peer ('равный равному') methodology with no lectures, no teachers, and no fixed schedules — learners progress through gamified projects verified by peer code review, complete a 14-day in-person selection 'бассейн' (pool), and finish with a mandatory 3-month internship at a partner IT company. The proprietary technology stack is a custom gamified SaaS learning platform (Java/Spring Boot, React/TypeScript/Vite, GraphQL, PostgreSQL, GitLab, Kafka, ClickHouse, Keycloak) synchronized with GitLab, registered in the Russian Software Registry (No. 25359, dated 12 December 2024) and state-registered as computer program No. 2023688779.
The business model layers paid offerings on top of the free Sberbank-funded core: paid joint Master's programs with MGIMO (330,000₽/semester) and MEPhI (290,000₽/semester) for state-recognized degrees, corporate training intensives for B2B clients (AI Transformation, Data Analysis, IT Project Management, IT Leadership), and franchise/licensing fees for regional partners to operate campuses using School 21's platform and methodology. Distribution is via self-serve online application (applicant.21-school.ru), university partner admissions, and enterprise direct sales. The company partners with 12+ Russian IT employers (Sber, Yandex, Ozon, Gazprom, RZD, Kaspersky, Wildberries, Sibur, Avito, Okko, Samokat, Skolkovo) for internship and graduate placement, claiming 100% graduate employment and 100% internship-to-offer conversion. Recent strategic priorities include the joint Master's programs, 'Digital Departments' alignment with the Ministry of Education, and franchise expansion into remote Russian regions.
school 21 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- school 21
- Legal name
- Автономная некоммерческая организация повышения уровня качества образования населения «Школа 21»
- Website
- https://21-school.ru
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- School 21 (Школа 21) is a Sberbank-funded Russian non-profit operating 21 campuses that delivers free IT vocational training to 11,000 active participants using a peer-to-peer, gamified learning platform, with paid Master's programs, corporate training, and franchise licensing alongside the free core.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
school 21 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IT Education Services
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Intensive Bootcamps & Accelerated ASE Programs (EDAAABAH), College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)
Keywords
Where school 21 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Moscow
- HQ country
- Russia
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices21 records
Markets served
school 21 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Corporate training (paid educational services): School 21 provides paid educational services to corporate clients using its platform, including group intensives for managers and teams (e.g., 'Introduction to Data Analysis', 'AI Transformation', 'IT Project Management'). Programs are customized and priced individually.
- Paid Master's degree programs with university partners: Joint Master's programs with МГИМО (330,000₽ per semester) and МИФИ (290,000₽ per semester) generate tuition revenue. Both programs also offer scholarships, maternal capital payment options, and government-supported educational loans at 3% interest rate.
- Franchise fees for campus expansion: School 21 licenses its platform, methodology, and brand to franchise partners who open campuses in new regions. The school provides the platform access, methodology training, staff onboarding, business processes, and ongoing operational support. Partners must meet conditions including minimum 200 workstations and regional population of at least 500,000.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free IT education for all participants |
| Subscription | Annual | Master's program with МГИМО — 330,000₽ per semester |
| Subscription | Annual | Master's program with МИФИ — 290,000₽ per semester |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Platform SaaS access for franchise/corporate clients |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Corporate training intensives — price negotiated individually |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
school 21 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
School 21 provides free IT education (6 months to 2 years) across 10+ technical tracks using a peer-to-peer methodology on its proprietary gamified SaaS platform. Adjacent paid offerings include corporate training intensives (AI, data analysis, IT leadership, project management), joint Master's degree programs with MGIMO and MEPhI, and supplementary IT education through the "Digital Departments" project with partner universities. Graduates complete a mandatory 3-month internship at partner IT companies.
Product overview
School 21 operates as a unified platform-plus-modules educational ecosystem centered on the 'Платформа Школы 21' (School 21 Platform) — a gamified, project-based learning management system synchronized with GitLab. The core offering consists of free main training programs (6 months to 2 years) spanning 10 IT tracks (Software Developer, Data Scientist, DevOps/SRE, QA, BA/SA, UX/UI, Bioinformatics, Cybersecurity, Project Management, and Product Manager), preceded by a 14-day selection 'бассейн' intensive and followed by a mandatory 3-month internship. Adjacent to the core programs, the ecosystem extends into: corporate training intensives for enterprises (AI transformation, data analysis, IT leadership), digital department partnerships with universities, and two joint master's programs with MGIMO (Digital Product Management) and MIFI (AI Implementation in Business). All components share the 'peer-to-peer' methodology and the unified technology platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Платформа «Школы 21»: Gamified educational platform for IT training with project-based learning methodology
- Master's program 'AI Management in Business' (MIREA partnership)
- Master's program 'Digital Product Management on International Markets' (MGIMO partnership)
Products and services
- Main Training Programs (Основное обучение) Free IT education programs lasting 6 months to 2 years covering software development, data science, DevOps/SRE, QA, cybersecurity, UI/UX design, bioinformatics, business/systems analytics, product management, and project management. Available to adults aged 18+ with no prior IT knowledge required.
- Corporate Training Intensives (Корпоративное обучение) Paid group intensives for managers and corporate teams covering AI transformation, introduction to data analysis, effective leadership in IT teams, IT project management, and AI fundamentals. Programs range from 1-day to 5-week hybrid formats and are customizable to client needs.
- Digital Departments (Цифровые кафедры) Joint project with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Digital Development providing free supplementary IT education to university students from non-IT programs, resulting in a professional retraining diploma and a School 21 certificate.
- MGIMO Master's: Digital Product Management on International Markets (Магистратура МГИМО — «Управление цифровыми продуктами на международных рынках») 2-year hybrid Master's program (₽330,000 per semester, ₽1,320,000 total) combining MGIMO academic base with School 21's practical approach, preparing students for international product management careers. Awards both a MGIMO state-recognized Master's diploma (direction 38.04.05 'Business Informatics') and a School 21 professional retraining diploma.
- MEPhI Master's: AI Implementation and Development Management in Business (Магистратура МИФИ — «Управление внедрением и развитием ИИ в бизнесе») 2-year online Master's program with offline intensives at School 21 campuses (₽290,000 per semester, ₽1,160,000 total) focusing on AI product management and covering full AI implementation cycles from technical specifications to launch. Awards both a MEPhI state-recognized Master's diploma (direction 01.04.02 'Applied Mathematics and Informatics') and a School 21 diploma.
Quantifiable outcome
- 100% of graduates successfully employed in IT
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use school 21
Customer profileNamed customers16 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
school 21 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
school 21 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and minor.
- MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations) — МГИМОflagshipJoint Master's program 'Management of Digital Products on International Markets' (2 years, 330,000₽/semester). MGIMO provides the academic degree and theoretical courses; School 21 provides the practical project-based component using its peer-to-peer methodology. Students earn both a MGIMO state-recognized Master's diploma (direction 38.04.05 'Business Informatics') and a School 21 professional retraining diploma. MGIMO also participates in the 'Digital Departments' project.
- NRNU MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) — МИФИflagshipJoint Master's program 'AI Implementation and Development Management in Business' (2 years, 290,000₽/semester). MEPhI provides the academic degree and AI/technical curriculum; School 21 provides the practical component. Students earn both a MEPhI state-recognized Master's diploma (direction 01.04.02 'Applied Mathematics and Informatics') and a School 21 diploma. MEPhI is ranked TOP-2 among technical universities for graduate employment (Ministry of Labour ranking).
- OzonminorIT company partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Ozon as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- YandexminorIT company partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Yandex as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- GazpromminorState energy corporation partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Gazprom as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- RZD (Russian Railways)minorState railway company partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at RZD as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- OkkominorStreaming platform partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Okko as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- Kaspersky LabminorCybersecurity company partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Kaspersky as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- SamokatminorQuick commerce company partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Samokat as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- SiburminorPetrochemical company partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Sibur as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- Skolkovo FoundationminorInnovation ecosystem partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Skolkovo-registered companies as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- AvitominorClassifieds marketplace partner for student internships. School 21 graduates intern at Avito as part of their mandatory 3-month internship requirement.
- WildberriesminorE-commerce partner for student internships and employment. School 21 graduates intern and work at Wildberries.
- NUST MISISminorPartner university in the 'Digital Departments' project (project of the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Digital Affairs). Provides free supplementary IT education to university students using School 21's practical methodology and platform. Students receive diplomas of professional retraining and School 21 certificates.
- Sechenov UniversityminorPartner university in the 'Digital Departments' project. Provides free supplementary IT education to medical/university students using School 21's practical methodology and platform.
- 2GISminorDigital maps company. Featured in MGIMO Master's program as an industry case study (marketing of digital products). Faculty member Ekaterina Chikulaeva is Marketing Business Partner at 2GIS and teaches on the program.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
school 21 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- NRNU MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute): MEPhI is a leading Russian technical university co-delivering the AI Master's program with School 21. It functions as an academic-degree partner rather than a competitor, enabling state-recognized credentials.
- MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations): MGIMO is a top Russian university partnering with School 21 on the joint Master's program 'Management of Digital Products on International Markets', providing academic credentials that complement School 21's practical methodology.
Direct peers
- Geekbrains: Geekbrains (owned by Mail.ru / VK) is a major Russian IT education platform with programming, data science, and DevOps tracks and career services. It is a relevant domestic competitor for IT career-changers and working professionals.
- Hexlet: Hexlet is a Russian online programming school offering project-based web development and DevOps curricula with strong emphasis on community and code review, mirroring parts of School 21's methodology in a paid online format.
- Skillbox: Skillbox is a leading Russian online education platform offering IT, design, and business programs with strong employer-partner placements. It competes directly for adult IT-aspirant learners in the same market segments.
- 42 (École 42): 42 is the original French peer-to-peer, project-based, tuition-free programming school founded by Xavier Niel. School 21 explicitly mirrors 42's methodology (peer-to-peer, gamified, no teachers), making it the closest methodological and product analog globally.
- Netology: Netology is a Russian online university offering professional retraining and continuing education programs in IT, marketing, and analytics. It overlaps with School 21's adult professional-development positioning and Digital Departments programs.
- Elbrus Bootcamp: Elbrus Bootcamp is a Russian intensive coding bootcamp focused on full-stack JavaScript and data science with career services. It targets similar career-changer cohorts with short, paid, in-person-style programs.
- Yandex Practicum: Yandex Practicum is Russia's largest paid online IT bootcamp, offering data science, web development, and QA tracks with career support. It targets the same career-changer segment as School 21 with paid, structured programs, and is the most direct domestic competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Coursera: Coursera is a global online learning platform partnering with top universities and companies to deliver structured IT, data science, and professional certificates. It operates broadly in the same online education category but lacks School 21's peer-to-peer, campus-based model and employer-driven internship pipeline.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
school 21 social profiles
Digital presenceschool 21 compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
school 21 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
school 21 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
school 21 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
school 21 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 school 21
What does school 21 do?
School 21 provides free IT education (6 months to 2 years) across 10+ technical tracks using a peer-to-peer methodology on its proprietary gamified SaaS platform. Adjacent paid offerings include corporate training intensives (AI, data analysis, IT leadership, project management), joint Master's degree programs with MGIMO and MEPhI, and supplementary IT education through the "Digital Departments" project with partner universities. Graduates complete a mandatory 3-month internship at partner IT companies.
Is school 21 a public or private company?
school 21 is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was school 21 founded?
school 21 was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is school 21 based?
school 21 is headquartered in Moscow, Russia, in the Europe region.
How does school 21 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Corporate training (paid educational services) is the primary driver. The others are paid Master's degree programs with university partners and franchise fees for campus expansion.
Who are school 21's main competitors?
Others on record are NRNU MEPhI (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute) and MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relations). Direct peers are Geekbrains, Hexlet, Skillbox, 42 (École 42), Netology, Elbrus Bootcamp and Yandex Practicum. Coursera is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does school 21 have an API?
No public API is recorded for school 21.
What industry is school 21 in?
school 21's product category is IT Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAEAL, Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs, with a secondary code of EDAAABAH, Intensive Bootcamps & Accelerated ASE Programs. Its NAICS code is 611420 and its SIC code is 8200.