Andreessen Horowitz Launches $42 Million AI-Native Academy in San Francisco as College Alternative

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz is opening an unaccredited residential school in San Francisco designed to position project-based learning and AI systems design as an alternative to traditional higher education. The Horowitz Andreessen Academy, led by Gagan Biyani—co-founder of online learning platform Udemy—will admit approximately 50 students into a tuition-free founding class fellowship beginning September 2027, followed by a paid two-year program in 2028 seeking regulatory approval to charge annual tuition comparable to elite private universities, estimated at $60,000 to $90,000 per year.