Code Ninjas, America’s number one kid’s coding franchise, has landed on British soil. Code Ninjas offers after-school programmes and camps that teach kids how to code by building video games that they love.
Built on the mantra that ‘kids have fun, parents see results’, the brand has already taken the US and Canada by storm. Now, it’s the turn of UK entrepreneurs to capitalise on the ever-increasing demand for STEM education as Code Ninjas franchisees.
Founded by programmer and entrepreneur, David Graham, in 2016, there are now 125 Code Ninja centres open in the US with 75 more due to be open by the end of August, including expansion into Canada. David, whose inspiration for the business struck whilst watching his son’s Taekwondo lesson, says he’s excited to bring the opportunity to the UK and believes that success here will mirror that of North America
“We’re confident that the UK will replicate, if not surpass the US in terms of growth speed and breadth of coverage. We proudly call ourselves a franchise support company – our foundations have been built on being able to provide the best, most innovative and effective support to franchisees across the globe. Our UK franchisees will benefit from the support of a UK-based team whose number one priority will be helping to get centres open, operational and profitable!”
As you might expect, Code Ninjas like to do things a little differently! Centres are called Dojos; teachers are called Code Senseis, and students, or Ninjas, progress by working towards coloured wristbands – or ‘belts’ – based on the colouring system in martial arts. Students work through the self-paced curriculum, all written by in house developers, during weekly drop-in visits to Code Ninjas centres in their community. Parents can either drop kids off or stay to take advantage of the specially designed facilities including relaxing waiting area, free coffee, free Wi-Fi and work stations.
“Code Ninjas is all about the experience, that’s what makes us different. You can’t distil what we do down to the curriculum, it’s so much more than that. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s a place to make friends and have a good time,” enthuses David. “Kids are motivated to learn when they’re enjoying themselves and there’s the opportunity to ‘earn’ their next badge of honour. The Dojo is a parent free zone, meaning students can communicate independently with their Sensei and peers. I’ve seen, first hand, how coding education improves lives. Every child should have the opportunity to learn code, and have a great time doing it.”
The impressive growth of the brand so far, combined with the obvious need for computer skills, has already proved appealing to prospective UK owners, with 700 franchise enquiries received in just 14 days. Prospects were invited to attend a Code Ninjas discovery day, in the heart of London’s Westminster, on the 21stMay – it was standing room only as David and his franchise support team introduced the brand and their vision for the future in the UK.
“A Code Ninjas franchise offers investors an opportunity to get ahead of the curve by providing a crucial service that has largely been overlooked in the UK market,”explained David. “90% of parents have expressed an interest in wanting their kids to learn how to code. Seeing the excitement in the room – let alone the number of seriously interested parties – was very special. Our first franchisees will be instrumental in developing and shaping the future of the brand in the UK and I’m confident, and happy to say, I believe we’ve now met a few of the first members of our UK franchise family.”
Code Ninjas is fast establishing itself as the family coding centre of choice worldwide. David, his specialist franchise team and network of franchisees are looking forward to a bright and Ninja-fuelled future! With plans for further expansion on an international scale and phenomenal interest from prospects in the UK, 2019 looks to be another incredible year for Code Ninjas.
