SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - February 2024 - As technology constantly evolves, working professionals striving for a career in big tech face an uphill battle landing the most sought-after jobs. Leading education platform Interview Kickstart, used by engineers to level up and secure careers in the fastest-growing technology companies, today announces it has raised a $10 million funding round from Blume Ventures, their largest opening investment to date.
Interview Kickstart has been profitable for several years, having trained over 20,000 experienced working professionals through its unparalleled training programs spanning AI, Machine Learning, Data Science, Engineering, and Product Management. Interview Kickstart has solidified its position as the go-to platform for global tech workers to level up for a career in big tech and AI companies, with their graduates landing top jobs at companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, Netflix, AirBnB, Uber, Apple, Lyft and LinkedIn. The funding will establish Interview Kickstart's category-defining position as the largest player in the US market and help it expand its platform globally.
Interview Kickstart has seen its customers get job offers over $250,000, with the highest compensation received being over $1.2 million. In several instances, these working professionals have seen their compensation double after leveling up through Kickstart’s courses designed and taught by a pool of 500+ instructors from FAANG companies (Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google, and other top-tier tech companies). Additionally, courses are offered in new disciplines such as Gen AI, serving to future-proof their careers.
Interview Kickstart was founded by Soham Mehta (formerly with Box, eBay, and Microsoft) and Ryan Valles (formerly with Accel Partners and CEO of dealsandyou.com). Their mission was to build a platform allowing software engineers to keep pace with the industry and reach the highest bar in their careers, securing jobs at tech companies with 2% - 5% application acceptance rates. Today, Interview Kickstart is the only education platform that enables working professionals to learn the scaled thinking and advanced technical and problem-solving skills required to achieve careers at these companies – delivered by those who have already achieved them.
Ryan Valles, Co-founder at Interview Kickstart commented: “There is a Power Law at play for jobs. Top tech companies pay 2-3 times as much as others and offer massive wealth-creating opportunities via stock option plans. Interview Kickstart, with our instructors and partners, aims to help working tech professionals prepare for these compelling opportunities. For instance, a working professional, Christian, recently got an offer of $380k at a FAANG company, which was more than double what he earned before going through Interview Kickstart. Our constant focus on profitability and strong unit economics, along with this growth investment from Blume, will help us amplify and expand this mission.”
Soham Mehta, Co-founder at Interview Kickstart, added: “In a world where Big Tech is the force behind the rapid pace of tech innovation, including the significant platform shift that Generative AI brings about, there has never been a more substantial need for the 22 million software engineers worldwide to focus on building the essential skills that are emerging out of top tech companies to stay relevant and Level Up. Interview Kickstart is uniquely poised to dominate that enormous opportunity.”
Karthik Reddy, Managing Partner at Blume Ventures said: "Interview Kickstart presented a unique opportunity. The company has been bootstrapped and profitable for several years and the founders have built an incredible proposition and community. The investment is a testament to our belief in Interview Kickstart's mission and track record of delivering career-shifting impact to professionals. They’ve had a huge impact on professionals arming themselves with new skills and opportunities to thrive in the fiercely competitive tech industry. Soham and Ryan are well placed to scale this to become one the greatest scale stories of the decade."
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