I had the chance to visit Ecole42 during my last trip to Paris and I must say that I have been very impressed by the originality of the concept and the ambition of the project. Ecole42 was founded by Florian Bucher, Xavier Niel, Nicolas Sadirac and Kwame Yamgnane as a new type of information-technology school. 
The school has a unique approach and accessibility to all, completely free of charge. There is no teacher or classroom - just computers. Students are developing their skills by completing projects online. Each project, when completed, enables the student to reach the next level and graduation is reached at level 21. Very unique system. To favor teamwork, all projects must be completed in teams. Each project is rated by several peer students as there are no teachers. There is no specific timing to complete the program: students can leave the school for a period of time to replenish their savings and come back when they want.
The school works closely with HEC and each year, they mix business students with Ecole42 developers to work on start-up projects. The first batch of start-ups has already raised more than EUR 3m. A good start!
The school takes 1,000 students per year - enough to have a big impact on the tech ecosystem. It started 3 years ago and so far only one student has graduated reaching level 21 but this is just the beginning.
Looking forward to see the first promotion joining our start-ups!
