Bitmaker Labs

Bitmaker Labs, founded in 2012, was a Toronto-based career accelerator focused on technology and design education. The company was established by Matt Gray, Andrew Mawer, Tory Jarmain, and Will Richman, all graduates of the Ivey Business School. Their journey began after some of the founders attended a similar coding program in Chicago and were inspired to create an improved version in Toronto with a strong emphasis on job placement for graduates. The venture was also co-founded by Duncan McCall.

The core of Bitmaker Labs' business was providing intensive, hands-on training programs in technology-related fields. Its flagship offering was a nine-week immersive web development bootcamp. Over time, the curriculum expanded to include part-time courses in mobile development, UX/UI design, and digital marketing to meet market demand. The business model was based on tuition fees, with students paying for these intensive courses. The company targeted individuals seeking to gain practical, in-demand skills to quickly become employable in the tech sector. Bitmaker's approach de-emphasized traditional academic structures like grades, focusing instead on project-based learning in small teams and mentorship from industry professionals.

A significant event in the company's history occurred in June 2013, when it was temporarily shut down by the Ontario government for operating as an unlicensed private college. Following widespread support, the company was granted an exemption and allowed to resume operations. In November 2014, Bitmaker Labs secured a substantial equity investment led by Russell Square Partners to fund curriculum development and expansion. This period also saw management changes, with Craig Hunter, formerly of Uber, becoming CEO. By August 2016, Bitmaker had become a prominent career accelerator in Canada, with over 1,000 graduates and a community of more than 15,000 members. This success culminated in its acquisition by General Assembly, a larger, New York-based global education company. Following the acquisition, the Bitmaker team, including then-CEO Andrew Mawer, continued to lead the company's growth as a subsidiary of General Assembly, with Mawer taking on the role of regional director for GA Toronto.

Keywords: coding bootcamp, technology education, web development, UX design, career accelerator, Toronto tech, skills training, job placement, General Assembly, Andrew Mawer, Matt Gray, Will Richman, Tory Jarmain, Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, professional development, tech skills, developer training, design education, ed-tech, programming courses