Spanish programming school Ironhack expands operations to Brazil.
The school, which has seven other campuses spread across Germany, Spain, the United States, France, and Mexico, plans to enter other Latin American countries and expand its presence in Mexico and Brazil in 2019.
(Reuters)- The Spanish programming school Ironhack will expand its operations to South America starting in October, when it opens its first unit in Brazil, seeking to participate in a market lacking professionals familiar with information technology.
Ironhack, founded in 2013, received a $3 million investment from JME Venture Capital to invest in expansions in Latin America and Europe. The first unit in Brazil will open in the city of São Paulo.
“Companies like 99 and Nubank are growing very fast and need talent to be able to develop,” said Mario Posadas, expansion manager at Ironhack in Brazil.
The company cited a survey by market research firm IDC that indicates a shortage of 161 qualified professionals in Brazil to serve the digital market by 2019.
In April, Digital House, a British programming school, also began operations in Brazil, targeting this shortage of professionals in the country.
Furthermore, large technology companies like Facebook have also invested in programming training centers and entrepreneurship development programs in the country.
Last August, the social network launched its "Hack Station" in São Paulo, a center that will serve as a bridge between the demand for professionals in the technology sector and low-income youth who need training. Google opened Campus São Paulo in June 2016, offering mentorship for startups, training for young entrepreneurs, and free events for the community.
Among the courses offered by Ironhack are training programs for programmers and web designers.
"São Paulo is a city that represents the innovation and technology ecosystem in Latin America," Posada said about choosing the São Paulo capital to begin operations in South America.
The school, which has seven other campuses spread across Germany, Spain, the United States, France, and Mexico, plans to enter other Latin American countries and expand its presence in Mexico and Brazil in 2019.
Posadas cited cities such as Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte, Florianópolis, and Campinas as targets of interest for the company, emphasizing that future expansions will be evaluated based on the results obtained in São Paulo.
By Taís Haupt