Frequently asked questions

The Horowitz Andreessen Academy is a private, full-time, in-person school in San Francisco for young builders coming out of high school. It focuses on the startup, technology, and leadership skills students can use to launch their own ventures or join growing technology companies.

The Academy is a separate company from the venture firm a16z, but the two have close ties. a16z incubated The Academy and is investing $35 million to launch it. Marc Andreessen and Erik Torenberg are joining the board alongside founder and CEO Gagan Biyani.

a16z also brought relationships with operators and technology companies into The Academy’s founding partner group and views The Academy as a long-term investment in the next generation of builders.

Gagan Biyani is the founder and CEO of The Academy. He co-founded Udemy, which became a publicly traded company, and Maven, which raised $25 million in a round led by a16z. He has spent nearly 20 years building products that change how people learn.

He has assembled a team of experienced operators to run The Academy. Classes will be taught by founders, operators, and experts who have built companies.

The Academy’s founding partners are Anduril, Anthropic, Coinbase, Google, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Palantir, Replit, and Stripe.

Depending on the partner, these companies will offer access to compute and hardware, co-create the curriculum, and provide hands-on learning and co-op opportunities. More than 60 additional companies have signed on as hiring partners.

The Academy is a for-profit education company and is separate from the venture firm a16z. Its goal is to build an enduring institution whose success depends on helping young builders launch and join consequential companies.

The Academy is designed primarily for young builders coming out of high school who would otherwise attend a four-year university. A high school diploma is not required, and there is no minimum age. The Founding Class Fellowship is expected to include roughly 50 students, chosen on proof of work: what they have built, shipped, or earned.
Applications from students attending college are welcome, though priority goes to graduating high school seniors. You are ineligible if, by September 2027, you have completed more than two years of full-time college enrollment after high school. Unfinished degrees count toward the two years; college level courses taken during high school don't.

You cannot apply for the Founding Class Fellowship if you are over the two-year college limit. You can still join our newsletter; we may have opportunities for post-college builders in the future.

U.S. citizenship or permanent residency is not required to apply. International applicants are welcome, and while The Academy cannot guarantee visa eligibility or approval, we will provide guidance to help you understand the visa process.

No. For students who will be under 18 when the program starts, a parent or guardian will need to co-sign enrollment agreements and other application documents.

Yes. The Fellowship lasts one year, so you can apply to college this year, accept an offer, and ask to defer your start by a year. Most colleges allow this. If you're admitted, we'll work with you on timing around your college decisions.

No. Builders at The Academy take many forms. We welcome projects like software, hardware, research, a business, a community, an audience, an event, writing, art, or something else you drove. Small and unfinished projects are welcome. A personal portfolio website is encouraged, but is not required.

For the initial application, you will provide:
- Your contact information and basic personal and education details.
- One to three accessible links showing what you have made. At least one link is required. A personal portfolio website is encouraged if you have one, but is not required. Small and unfinished projects are welcome.
- A short description of the project you most want us to review: why you started it, what you personally contributed, and where it has gotten so far. Use your own words, with a maximum of 200 words. A few sentences or bullet points are enough.
- A one-minute video introducing yourself and what you are excited to build or learn next. If you are applying for the Founding Class Fellowship, also share your number-one reason for wanting to spend a year at The Academy.
- You will also agree to our Terms of Use, acknowledge our Privacy Policy, and confirm that your information is accurate and that you have accurately described your contributions to collaborative work.

We do not ask for transcripts, test scores, or recommendation letters in this initial application.

Yes. Use AI the way you’d use it on any project: to move faster, test ideas, and get past a blank page. What we want to see is how you think and what you’ve actually built. Do not use AI to write for you; write in your own words. The details that make you memorable are the ones AI can’t generate for you.

If you have applied for the Founding Class Fellowship and are selected to move forward, we will follow up to learn more about you and your work, with details on what comes next. At that stage, we may request transcripts, test scores, and parent or guardian information, as applicable.

Early admission applications are due November 5, 2026. Applying early does not commit you to attend.

Invitations to Stage 2 will be sent on a rolling basis, with decisions by late January 2027.

If places remain in the Founding Class Fellowship after early admissions, we will open a regular admissions round.

The Founding Class Fellowship runs for one year, from September 2027 to August 2028: on campus in San Francisco September–April, abroad in May, and in a co-op June–August.

Most of your time is yours to build. Each week, you share your progress with peers and practitioners, get direct feedback, and decide where to take your work next.

The program is intensive and designed for students who want to devote substantial time and energy to pushing ambitious ideas forward and learning new skills.

Coursework spans practical subjects such as founder-led sales, go-to-market for B2B, storytelling and new media, leading high-ownership cultures, and startup mechanics, including company formation, cap tables, finance, and fundraising.

Classes are taught by practitioners. The program develops students’ ability to build with AI, take initiative, pursue ambitious goals, and help others succeed. A full list of courses is available here.

Yes. We are building a strong network of mentors who help students decide what to build and work through consequential product, customer, and company decisions.

Students learn through case studies, deep dives, customer conversations, and direct feedback.

Some mentors will come in for office hours a few times a year, others will be more frequent. Our job is to create the initial introduction; you must develop relationships from there as you would at any school in the country.

No. Some builders write code; others design products, grow communities, conduct research, or turn an obsession into something useful.

We care about curiosity, agency, and a demonstrated ability to follow an idea through.

No, The Academy is not accredited. The Founding Class Fellowship does not award a college degree or college credit.

The Academy is a full-time, in-person program centered on sustained work. Students build alongside ambitious peers, learn in practitioner-led classes, work with mentors, and pursue co-ops with technology companies.

The Academy is for a specific kind of student: someone who already knows how to build and wants to pursue that work alongside investors, operators, and the companies building the technology they want to work in.

College is a good option for the majority of students, but we believe a select few will find that The Academy is better at preparing them for the real world and developing a stronger network in and around the San Francisco technology industry.

The Academy will be located in the heart of San Francisco.

Students will take classes there and spend time inside Silicon Valley technology companies, learning alongside their teams.

The Academy is in the process of identifying housing options for students who would like to live near or with other Academy students. Students are responsible for choosing and arranging their own housing, but we expect to identify options for those who would like to co-locate with their peers.

The Founding Class Fellowship does not award a college degree or college credit. Instead of a certificate, students leave with a portfolio designed to demonstrate their work and capabilities to prospective employers, collaborators, and investors.

The Academy is an intensive program for students who want to take time to explore and determine what’s next. Building a startup is a 10-year commitment, and we believe most students will benefit from taking a step back.

You can absolutely work on business ideas at The Academy, but plan to come open-minded to pivoting, exploring multiple ideas at once, or doing your company part-time.

If a project becomes a company, you can use a co-op period for independent study and give it your full attention.

There is no tuition for the Founding Class Fellowship. Students are responsible for arranging and paying for their own housing, meals, and personal living expenses. Need-based scholarships and grants for living expenses may be available to those who qualify; we aim for every admitted student to be able to attend, whatever their family's finances. You don't need to mention financial need in your application; we'll work out travel, housing, and living cost assistance with admitted students.

We have identified various housing providers that offer dorms for students in San Francisco. Typical rates are between $1,600–$1,800/month for a shared dormitory and $2,300–$2,600/month for single occupancy. You should also have sufficient funds for food and other daily expenses.

The Founding Class Fellowship does not participate in federal or state financial aid programs and 529 funds cannot be used tax-free.

Co-ops are internships integrated into your education.

You work inside technology companies alongside experienced teams, contribute to products, and build a track record and relationships that can open doors long after the placement ends.

Some students may also choose to use the Co-op time to explore a startup idea or conduct in-depth research.

The Academy offers a vast network of hiring partners that are excited to meet and consider Academy students for Co-op and full time opportunities. These partners will still expect that you undergo the standard interview process they have for Co-Ops and full-time positions. The Academy will certainly have a strong recruiting and educational process for supporting you through this effort.

Typically in Silicon Valley, Co-ops are paid. The Academy cannot guarantee that every co-op is paid.

No. The Academy does not guarantee a co-op placement or full-time employment. What we can do is create a strong network of the best companies in the world, and help you build an amazing set of skills that will give you the best chance of success.

Students build relationships through classes, mentorship, co-ops, projects, and direct introductions.

Those relationships are intended to help students find collaborators, mentors, employers, and investors throughout their careers.

The Academy’s goal is to help each student either launch a company or join a fast-growing team with the skills, network, and experience to make an immediate impact.

No. You own 100% of the intellectual property you create at The Academy.

The Academy does not take an income share agreement, a percentage of your income, equity in your company, or a right of first refusal.

a16z is an investor in The Academy, not its operator, and does not have a right of first refusal on student companies.

That said, of course we would love to introduce you to investors (including a16z) if you end up starting a company while at The Academy.