a16z Launches Free Academy With OpenAI, Palantir Partners — SkimNews
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- Andreessen Horowitz is creating the "Horowitz Andreessen Academy," a one-year, tuition-free program launching fall 2027 in San Francisco for 50 recent high school graduates, though it grants no degree or accreditation.
- The academy launches with 10 partners — Anduril, Anthropic, Coinbase, Google, Meta, Nvidia, OpenAI, Palantir, Replit, and Stripe — alongside $42 million in funding led by a16z.
- Students will take short classes led by tech figures including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, plus "co-ops" placing them in roles at tech companies, replacing traditional grades, tests, and homework.
- Participants must arrange their own housing in San Francisco but receive more than $50,000 in compute credits and a $5,000 travel and research budget from a16z.
- Founders Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz have previously criticized higher education, with Andreessen reportedly calling Stanford and MIT "political lobbying operations fighting American innovation" in a group chat with White House officials.
Why it matters: A16z's bet reframes elite tech hiring as an alternative to college: 50 handpicked graduates skip degrees for direct access to founders like Sam Altman and co-op roles across 10 AI and defense companies — a pipeline the firm's partners can staff from, funded by $42 million upfront.
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