An international coding boot camp has selected Tampa for its second U.S. location after the city rose on the national tech stage in the last year.
Ironhack, which originated in Spain in 2013, first expanded to Miami in 2017. Lisa Nuessle, the senior growth lead of Americas at Ironhack, said Tampa was the next logical choice in its U.S. expansion.
“There’s so much happening — with Miami tech blowing up and Tampa feels very neck-and-neck with new innovation hubs,” Nuessle said. “Miami feels founder-focused and Tampa feels innovative with Fortune 500 companies.”
The company was founded by two Wharton Business School graduates. In January 2021, it closed a $20 million Series B round led by New York-based Lumos Capital, which has a focus on the education technology sector.
Ironhack has a partnership with Deskpass, which allows it to work in various coworking spots throughout Tampa Bay under a hybrid format. However, Nuessle said Ironhack is working to lock in a permanent space.
It will launch its first cohort this March, and plans to become a hiring partner with local businesses.
The course itself can be full time and done in nine weeks on a Monday through Friday schedule, or part time in a 24-week program. It has over 10,000 graduates and an 85% job placement rate within six months of graduation. In addition to the coding boot camp, the program offers mentorship and meetups. It is roughly $12,500 for the course with scholarship opportunities.
Nuessle added the company has roughly 15 of its alumni who are now working in Tampa, including at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Bankers Healthcare.
“A lot of what we do at Ironhack is connecting people; a lot of times this is people’s first connection into tech,” she said. “This is the first time they’re meeting like-minded people, and it creates a professional network for them.”
Ironhack joins a growing number of other coding boot camps in the region. There is Suncoast Developers Guild Academy, New Horizons Computer Learning Center, Computer Coach Training Center and Code Ninjas. There is also former Canadian company Codeboxx, which relocated its headquarters to Tampa Bay in 2021.
“I think now is the right time for it,” Nuessle said. “We’re very bullish on it and very community driven there. I’m excited about Tampa. There is a lot of opportunity here compared to even two years ago; it could’ve been a different story.”
