Andreessen Horowitz

Venture investors Ben Horowitz and Marc Andreessen are funding a new academy positioned as an alternative to traditional college, according to the Wall Street Journal. The initiative taps into ongoing debate over the value and cost of higher education, with backers from Silicon Valley supporting new pathways for young people into tech careers.

Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz has launched Cosign, a curated professional network aimed at the startup community. The platform is designed to connect founders, investors and operators within a vetted environment. Details about its features and membership criteria have not yet been fully disclosed, but the move signals a16z's interest in building community infrastructure around venture investing.