Climb Credit, the student financing platform best known for backing career-focused education, just scooped up Career Karma, a platform that has guided over 100 million visitors toward tech bootcamps and job training programs since its 2018 launch.
The deal signals more than just consolidation in the student financing space—it’s a bid to own the entire learner journey, from “What program should I choose?” to “How do I pay for it?”
From Bootcamps to Skilled Trades
Career Karma, founded by Ruben Harris and the Meyster brothers, built its reputation by steering learners toward coding bootcamps and other upskilling programs. Climb, meanwhile, has been financing nontraditional education for over a decade. Together, they’re moving beyond tech into sectors like healthcare, skilled trades, and other high-demand industries.
That expansion matters. Traditional student loans aren’t built for short-term, skills-based programs, and most schools can’t provide the hand-holding students need when navigating a maze of training options. Climb and Career Karma are betting that combining financing with discovery tools will give both students and schools a streamlined path forward.
A Guided Journey, Not Just a Loan
For students, the revamped Career Karma experience promises:
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Smarter program-matching tools tied to career goals.
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Personalized advising to cut through the clutter of options.
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A clearer path from exploration to enrollment.
For schools, it means better-prepared applicants, fewer drop-offs mid-process, and access to insights on financial readiness—an ongoing headache for training providers.
TripleTen, a coding bootcamp, has already signed on to pilot the new model. “Finding the right training partner and getting ready for enrollment has always been a challenge,” said Russell Ramesh, CDPO at TripleTen. “This approach makes bootcamp education more accessible and effective.”
Leadership with Enrollment Chops
Climb isn’t leaving execution to chance. The company has tapped Jeff Herbst, a marketing veteran with stints at Noodle and 2U, to lead Career Karma into its next chapter. Herbst’s background in performance marketing and enrollment management could be critical as the platform scales beyond tech into broader vocational training.
Why This Matters
The timing is no accident. As workforce development dollars flow and employers clamor for job-ready talent, career training providers are under pressure to prove outcomes. Platforms like Career Karma can act as a bridge—bringing in motivated, better-matched students who are more likely to succeed.
Meanwhile, competitors in the space are circling. Rivals like Stride Funding and Ascent are also pairing financing with discovery tools, but Climb’s acquisition of a well-known brand with an established audience could give it an edge.
The Bigger Play
The financing side of Climb will remain separate from the Career Karma experience—for now. But the acquisition hints at a future where a single platform could guide you from “I want to be an MRI tech” to finding the right program, applying, getting financing, and enrolling with confidence.
In a market full of fragmented solutions, that kind of end-to-end ecosystem could be a differentiator—and a moat.
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