Mate academy

Mate academy, established in 2015, operates within the educational technology sector, providing intensive online training programs for individuals aspiring to become software engineers. The company was founded by Roman Apostol, a former Google team lead and co-founder of Preply; Anna Apostol, recognized by Forbes as one of the 25 leading women in IT; and Max Lysak, a co-founder of the Startup Depot business incubator and the IT Arena conference. The initial concept for the academy emerged when Anna Apostol successfully mentored an individual with no technical background, helping them secure a job in the tech industry. This success story inspired the creation of a school designed to help people from diverse professional backgrounds—such as accountants, doctors, and firefighters—transition into tech careers.

The company’s primary offering is a four-month, full-time online coding bootcamp. The curriculum covers foundational and advanced topics in web development, including JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Git, and React. Mate academy operates on an Income Share Agreement (ISA) model, which allows students to enroll in the full-time program for free. Upon securing employment in the tech industry, graduates pay 12% of their salary for three years. A prepaid, self-paced option is also available for those who cannot commit to the full-time schedule. The company guarantees employment for graduates of both programs, offering a refund for the flexible course if a job is not found within 16 weeks of completion. To facilitate employment, the academy provides comprehensive career support, including resume and portfolio preparation, mock interviews, and access to exclusive job openings from its network of over 700 partner companies.

Financially, Mate academy has demonstrated significant growth, reporting a 20-fold revenue increase following its 2019 seed round. The company secured a $1.9 million late-seed round in November 2021 from investors including the co-founders of Wise, Teleport, Pipedrive, and Bolt, as well as Horizon Capital and existing investors TA Ventures and Flyer One Ventures. This funding was aimed at fueling expansion into international markets. The Ukrainian startup has since expanded its operations globally, launching offices in Poland in November 2022 and Brazil in August 2023, with plans for further expansion in the American market. The platform's learning materials are localized, with courses in Brazil offered in Portuguese. As of 2023, Mate academy has successfully placed nearly 3,000 graduates in tech roles worldwide.

Keywords: EdTech, coding bootcamp, Income Share Agreement, software engineering training, online education, career transition, tech careers, JavaScript, web development, job placement, Roman Apostol, Anna Apostol, Max Lysak, Ukrainian startup, technical skills, online learning platform, full-stack development, front-end development, career coaching, IT education