Codesmith
| Industry | Technology education |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2015 in Los Angeles, United States |
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Area served | |
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Codesmith is a New York-based technology school specializing in software engineering, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Codesmith was founded by Will Sentance and Alex Zai in 2015.[1][2][3]
Codesmith's curriculum was inspired by the Socratic method employed at Oxford University and features both conceptual learning and practice-based methods such as pair programming.[2][3][4] Codesmith also offers training in computer science, JavaScript, and mobile development.[5][6] Codesmith's curriculum also includes React and Node.js coding.[6] Codesmith also offers a Minorities in Tech Mentorship Group for underprivileged groups.[7]
The company was initially based in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Playa Vista.[2][5]
In 2016, Codesmith started offering on-site programs in New York and Los Angeles, alongside remote programs for both campuses.[2][3][8]
Codesmith's offerings include its part-time and full-time software engineering immersive programs.[9][10] In addition, Codesmith provides free public resources, including workshops and lectures, which prospective students often use to prepare for the application and technical interview process.[1][9]
In 2025, Codesmith was the subject of an investigative story titled "The Story of Codesmith: How a Competitor Crippled a $23.5M Bootcamp By Becoming a Reddit Moderator"[11]by Lars Lofgren, who has undertaken similar investigations into online scams and search ecosystems.[12] The piece argues that an individual associated with a rival bootcamp obtained moderator privileges on a key subreddit, and then used that position to influence narratives about Codesmith. According to the post, those Reddit-originating claims were further amplified by Google’s AI-generated summaries and surfaced in responses from large language models. The investigation attracted substantial attention across tech communities and quickly rose to the top of discussion on Hacker News.[13]
In 2026, Codesmith was ranked #1 by Forbes among software engineering and AI/ML bootcamp, which highlighted the program’s curriculum rigor, student experience, transparent outcomes reporting through industry standards, and ongoing career support for alumni.[14]
Partnership with the US Department of Treasury
It was announced in January 2026 that Codesmith, in partnership with Lantec, had been selected by the United States Department of the Treasury to help develop in-house AI engineering training, representing an expansion of Codesmith’s operations to enterprise and institutional-level capability building. The partnership is valued at up to $118 million over five years.[15][16]
References
- ^ a b Cawley, Conor (2016-10-18). "Codesmith Raised $1.1 Million Funding Round Led by Test Prep CEO". Tech.co. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ a b c d "Codesmith feels like a million bucks after funding round". www.bizjournals.com. October 18, 2016. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ a b c alex (2020-04-23). "Codesmith Online Review | BootcampRankings". BootcampRankings - Top Destination for Coding Bootcamp Reviews. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ Team, The NYT Open (2018-11-09). "5 Questions with Will Sentance". Medium. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ a b Herrick, John (2015-08-07). "Coding Camps: A Smart Bet For MBAs Or A Waste Of Time?". Poets&Quants. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ a b "The 10 best coding bootcamps of 2022". ZDNET. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ "Comparing Two Top-Rated Bootcamps: Codesmith vs Rithm School - Rithm School". www.rithmschool.com. 2024-05-08. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ "Coding classes and bootcamps in Los Angeles". Time Out Los Angeles. Archived from the original on 2024-03-29. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ a b "Codesmith Review | BestColleges". www.bestcolleges.com. Retrieved 2025-01-17.
- ^ "Top Online Boot Camps and ISA Programs offering Placement Guarantee". shiksha.com. August 9, 2021.
- ^ Lofgren, Lars (2025-10-08). "The Story of Codesmith: How a Competitor Crippled a $23.5M Bootcamp By Becoming a Reddit Moderator". Lars Lofgren. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ Lofgren, Lars (2026-01-22). "The Weighted Highland Cow Scam: How it Works and Where to Buy a Real Highland Cow". Lars Lofgren. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ^ "A competitor crippled a $23.5M bootcamp by becoming a Reddit moderator | Hacker News". news.ycombinator.com. Archived from the original on 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2025-10-14.
- ^ Simmons, Liz (2024-02-20). "Best Online Software Engineering Bootcamps Of 2025". Forbes Advisor. Archived from the original on 2025-11-30. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ^ LLC, CODESMITH. "Top-Ranked AI Training Company Brings Silicon Valley Excellence to Washington: Codesmith Selected for $118M IRS Contract". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ^ "Top-Ranked AI Training Company Brings Silicon Valley Excellence to Washington: Codesmith Selected for $118M IRS Contract". AP News. 2026-01-29. Retrieved 2026-02-11.