Profitable for several years, Interview Kickstart has empowered over 20,000 professionals with its comprehensive training programs in AI, Machine Learning, Data Science, Engineering, and Product Management. It has become the preferred platform for tech professionals worldwide seeking to advance their careers in major tech and AI corporations. With alumni securing prestigious positions at firms like Google, Meta, Amazon, Netflix, Airbnb, Uber, Apple, Lyft, and LinkedIn, this investment is poised to cement Interview Kickstart’s lead in the US market and facilitate its international expansion.

Interview Kickstart alumni have received job offers exceeding $250,000, with the top salary surpassing $1.2 million. Many professionals have doubled their salaries after completing the platform's courses, designed and delivered by over 500 instructors from leading tech companies, including those in FAANG. The platform now includes courses in emerging areas like Generative AI, aiming to future-proof careers.

Founded by Soham Mehta (ex-Box, eBay, Microsoft) and Ryan Valles (ex-Accel Partners, CEO of dealsandyou.com), Interview Kickstart's goal was to create a resource for software engineers to stay abreast of industry developments and surpass the highest career benchmarks, targeting roles at companies with acceptance rates between 2% and 5%. Today, it stands as the singular educational platform that offers professionals the opportunity to learn from those who have successfully navigated careers at these elite tech companies, providing the advanced skills needed to thrive.

Ryan Valles, Co-founder at Interview Kickstart commented: “There is a Power Law at play for jobs. Top tech companies pay 2-3 times as much as others and offer massive wealth-creating opportunities via stock option plans. Interview Kickstart, with our instructors and partners, aims to help working tech professionals prepare for these compelling opportunities. For instance, a working professional, Christian, recently got an offer of $380k at a FAANG company, which was more than double what he earned before going through Interview Kickstart. Our constant focus on profitability and strong unit economics, along with this growth investment from Blume, will help us amplify and expand this mission.”  

Soham Mehta, Co-founder at Interview Kickstart, added: “In a world where Big Tech is the force behind the rapid pace of tech innovation, including the significant platform shift that Generative AI brings about, there has never been a more substantial need for the 22 million software engineers worldwide to focus on building the essential skills that are emerging out of top tech companies to stay relevant and Level Up. Interview Kickstart is uniquely poised to dominate that enormous opportunity.”

Karthik Reddy, Managing Partner at Blume Ventures said: "Interview Kickstart presented a unique opportunity. The company has been bootstrapped and profitable for several years and the founders have built an incredible proposition and community. The investment is a testament to our belief in Interview Kickstart's mission and track record of delivering career-shifting impact to professionals. They’ve had a huge impact on professionals arming themselves with new skills and opportunities to thrive in the fiercely competitive tech industry. Soham and Ryan are well placed to scale this to become one the greatest scale stories of the decade."