Participated · Series A · May 2023

Careerist is an ed-fintech marketplace connecting motivated learners, teachers, and employers to finance and train underserved U.S. jobseekers for technology careers. The platform runs software- and freelance-instructor-led training, provides career coaching, job placement assistance, and ongoing mentorship, and automates students' job searches. In 2023 Careerist launched an initiative to underwrite loans for applicants with credit scores below 620 and plans to provide up to $12M in installments that year. Its loan product targets applicants with an SSN and credit scores under 620, offers up to 24-month repayment terms, an average APR of 18%, and requires a $499 down payment for low-credit students. The company was founded in 2019, participated in Y Combinator's Spring 2021 cohort, and has grown to a team of over 100 employees. Careerist recently raised $8 million in a Series A. Careerist operates a career-development platform that trains people without tech or coding backgrounds for roles such as software testing and then applies its students for jobs in the U.S. tech industry. Students pay an initial application fee and sign an Income Share Agreement to pay full tuition only if they land a job. The platform also helps graduates grow into more advanced roles after placement. Careerist graduates have secured jobs at major companies including Google, Apple, Amazon, Slack, Salesforce, Samsung, Verizon, AT&T, Snap, and Facebook. The company was founded in March 2019 by CEO Ivan Tsybaev and is Sunnivale, Calif.-based. Recent fundraising and product plans are positioned to support continued growth and scaling of its offering.