Andreessen Horowitz backs Horowitz Andreessen Academy, a new for-profit SF school raising $42M to train the next generation of builders

Horowitz Andreessen Academy is raising $42 million to open a for-profit school in San Francisco aimed at young people who want careers in technology and entrepreneurship. Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz are joining the board. Applications open today; the first class of 50 students begins fall 2027, tuition-free under what the school is calling the Founding Class Fellowship.

Gagan Biyani, the school's CEO, is pitching the model as a direct challenge to how incumbent institutions are run. His argument is that the nonprofit structure of most universities has allowed administrators to optimize for themselves rather than students, and that a for-profit model forces the school to deliver or lose.

“I'm Gagan Biani, CEO of Horowitz Andreessen Academy. It's a new school for young builders who want to go and make something of their career. We're really excited to be announcing it today — raised $42,000,000 and Mark and Eric are joining the board... First class in fall 2027. Applications are open today at academysf.com.”

Structure and scope

The first program runs one year, in person in San Francisco, with a two-year program planned later. Accreditation isn't part of the plan, and Biyani doesn't think it needs to be. The bet is that the companies worth working at don't filter on accreditation, and that being physically embedded in Silicon Valley matters more than a credential.

What graduates are supposed to do

Biyani is deliberate about not prescribing a single outcome. The academy is not an accelerator. Founding a company is not the default expectation. He points to the SpaceX IPO as the clearest illustration: engineers who weren't founders and weren't second-in-command still made $100 million, without anyone knowing their names. The academy's culture is supposed to reduce the social pressure that pushes young people toward founding startups when they might be better suited to other paths.

With 50 spots for what is already a viral launch, admit rates will be extreme. The tuition-free first year means the cost barrier is close to zero, which will drive applications further. How selective the school can actually be, and whether 50 students is enough of a proof point to justify the $42 million raise, are questions the fall 2027 cohort will start to answer.