Silicon Valley is cultivating its own talent: VC firm a16z invests $35 million to launch a "college alternative".

Beating AI News – Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) has invested $35 million to launch the Andreessen Academy, a program for young people aged 16 to 22. Ten tech companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, NVIDIA, Palantir, and Stripe are its founding partners. This academy deviates significantly from traditional university models: admissions prioritize applicants’ existing achievements, and students spend up to 80% of their time on hands-on projects such as training AI models, building products, or launching startups. Each student will also receive over $50,000 worth of computing power and technical resources. Instructors are mostly from tech companies and the startup ecosystem, including figures like Sam Altman, Li Feifei, and Figma CEO Dylan Field. Students also gain direct access to learning and internships at partner companies; over 40 firms including Cognition, Databricks, Notion, and Shopify have joined as recruitment partners. a16z is also integrating startup funding into the program, with partner Erik Torenberg stating the firm will likely invest in entrepreneurs emerging from the academy. The academy unifies processes previously scattered across universities and various Silicon Valley sectors—from admissions and education to internships, recruitment, and startup funding. Its inaugural cohort will enroll around 50 students, with classes starting in fall 2027, and the first year is tuition-free. The official two-year program is set to launch in 2028, pending regulatory approval and without university accreditation for now. Future tuition is expected to align with that of top U.S. private universities.