Kenzie Academy, an apprenticeship program that develops modern tech workers, secured a $4.2 million second seed stage investment led by ReThink Education, whose follow-on investment is supplemented by a follow-on investment from Learn Start, a fund affiliated with Learn Capital. New investments from Gratitude Railroad, Kelly Services, and Butler University also contributed to the round. In addition, Matt Greenfield, managing partner at ReThink Education, will join the Kenzie Academy Inc. board.
The company’s mission is to grow tech education and employment opportunities in Middle America. Kenzie Academy’s college-alternative model combines one year of immersive learning with one year of paid work in Kenzie Studio, the company’s tech consulting subsidiary, providing students real work experience before they graduate.
Kenzie Academy plans to use the funding to expand its curriculum—which launched with software engineering courses—to include offerings in digital marketing and user experience design.