Miami’s top international coding school just raised $20 million

Ironhack, among Miami’s top professional coding bootcamps, has raised $20 million from investors as it seeks to expand locally and internationally.

In an interview, Ironhack co-founder Ariel Quiñones said the coding school, founded in 2013, saw some of the best months in its history in the second half of 2020. The pandemic, he said, accelerated trends that were already boosting coding schools, such as Ironhack, with a larger footprint: remote working, weaker demand for traditional job skills compared with digital ones, and the desire for existing companies to “re-skill” their workers.

“As the economy opens up and there’s less uncertainty, hiring is going to accelerate — and web development roles will be among the first to be hired for,” Quiñones said.

Ironhack is ranked as the 29th-best coding bootcamp in the world by CourseReport.com, a site that tracks coding education.

The lead investor in the fundraising round is Lumos, a New York- and London-based fund focused on education.

“Ironhack has proven itself as a leading global brand in digital skills training across geographies that have growing labor needs,” said James Tieng, managing partner and co-founder of Lumos Capital Group, in a statement.

Quiñones said the $20 million will allow for greater opportunities for South Florida residents looking to learn coding, as well as expanded curricula for skills such as data analytics and cybersecurity.

Ironhack is headquartered in Miami but has most of its campuses in Europe and Latin America.