In NYC tech, there are a few companies that always seem to be making headlines — and coworking giant WeWork is one of them. It currently has everyone’s attention with its acquisition of the Flatiron School, a coding bootcamp that claims you can “learn to code anywhere.”
And “anywhere” could now refer to any one of WeWork’s 238 offices across the globe. Part of the deal grants WeWork members access to the school’s online and in-person courses. Other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
This is just another initiative WeWork has taken to fulfill its goal of helping people grow together. Despite its size, the $20 billion company remains nimble. Since it was founded in 2011, it’s acquired a number of companies, including BI platform Unomy and coworking space competitor Spacemob, and raised an exceptional amount of money. Its most recent funding — which amounted to $4.4 billion in private equity — was in August, and most of the investment went toward expansion to Asia. Just a month before that, it raised $760 million in Series G funding.
Couple all of that with its numerous acquisitions, and WeWork has a recipe for dominating more than just the coworking industry. It has also taken on the wellness industry, and is now coming for education.
“In Flatiron, we have found a partner who shares our vision of connecting people — through space, design, technology and community — and understands that those connections are what humanizes the way we work and live,” WeWork CEO and co-founder Adam Neumann wrote in a blog post. “We are all students for life. I am excited to welcome the entire Flatiron School team of educators, engineers and innovators to WeWork to continue to learn, together.”
The Flatiron School is a resource for people interested in learning code. It provides a mix of courses, online and in-person, and has partnered with other NYC startups like ElleVest and Bustle to make its classes more affordable for everyone.
Neumann noted that the acquisition will further WeWork’s mission to help more people “make a life, not just a living.”
