Decoded
London, GB · Founded 2011 · 139 employees on LinkedIn · 2 known investors
Decoded provides training programmes in data and AI, ranging from workshops to full apprenticeships, aimed at leaders and teams across governments, enterprises and fast-growing organisations. It delivers live, practitioner-led corporate learning and digital transformation programmes, with hubs in London, Hong Kong and New York.
Also known as Decoded Ltd
Founders & leadership
Decoded was founded in 2011 by Kathryn Parsons.
Investors · 2
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Decoded is a data and AI education and digital transformation company headquartered in London. It designs and delivers live, practitioner-led training programmes for organisations, spanning short awareness sessions through to multi-month reskilling programmes and formal apprenticeships. Its stated subject focus covers AI, Python, data analytics and cybersecurity, with participants working on their own data using tools such as Power BI and Tableau.
The programme portfolio is structured by depth and duration: 60-minute Immersions that build a shared vocabulary around a specific data or AI topic; 90-minute Leadership sessions covering the strategic, operational and ethical implications of data and AI for senior decision-makers; Accelerators of four to eight weeks built around modular content or structured pathways; Academies of 12 to 32 weeks aimed at role-ready upskilling and reskilling; and Apprenticeships of 12 to 20 months in data, AI and automation. The apprenticeship offering is levy-funded and employer-aligned, delivered through open and closed cohorts, and operates within the UK apprenticeship framework, including BKSB English and maths diagnostic assessments, Functional Skills qualifications, off-the-job learning hours and portfolio-based assessment, with line managers involved in the admissions process.
Founding story
Co-founder and co-CEO Kathryn Parsons, a Classical Studies graduate of Downing College, Cambridge and a linguist by training who has studied Japanese, Latin, Ancient Greek and Mandarin, approached programming as another language anyone can learn. Decoded launched in 2011 around a one-day course intended to take complete beginners to writing code within a day.
Business model
Decoded sells corporate and public-sector training programmes, tailoring live sessions to client organisations and delivering them through open and closed cohorts. Its UK apprenticeship programmes are levy-funded and aligned to employers, who release apprentices for off-the-job learning hours.
Traction
The company states it has trained thousands of learners globally and reports metrics for Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 client share, countries served and apprenticeship pass rate on its website, and was advertising open cohort applications at the time of review.
Latest developments
Applications were open for new open cohorts of Decoded's programmes at the time of review.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
Established for more than a decade in corporate data and AI education, with reported delivery to thousands of learners across governments, enterprises and large corporates including Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 clients.
Decoded positions itself as a long-standing specialist in data and AI education rather than a general training provider, emphasising live, collaborative sessions led by experienced practitioners, content tailored to the client organisation, and an emphasis on learner confidence and immediate on-the-job application alongside technical competence.
Technology
Training content covers AI, Python, data analytics and cybersecurity, with hands-on work in analytics and visualisation tools including Power BI and Tableau.
Go-to-market
Governments, enterprises and fast-growing organisations, including Fortune 500 and FTSE 100 companies. Programmes address both senior leaders and individual employees seeking to reskill or upskill; client testimonials on the company site are attributed to staff at UBS, Visa, JP Morgan, Liberty Mutual and Boehringer Ingelheim.
Geography
Headquartered in London, with hubs in London, Hong Kong and New York, and delivery to learners in multiple countries.
History
Decoded launched in 2011 with a signature one-day course that claimed to teach participants with no computing background to code in a day. It has been delivering digital and data education since 2011, and its Digital and Data Academies are now delivered to executives and policymakers internationally. Kathryn Parsons is co-founder and co-CEO.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 2
launches, deals, and filingsThe Guardian reported that Guardian Media Group took a strategic stake in Decoded.
Decoded launched in 2011 with its signature one-day course, which claimed to train participants with no computing background to code in a day.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Decodeddecoded.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Decoded do?
- Decoded is a London-based data and AI education company delivering training programmes for leaders, teams and governments.
- Who founded Decoded?
- Decoded was founded by Kathryn Parsons in 2011.
- Who are Decoded's investors?
- Decoded's investors include GMG Ventures, Mercuri.vc.
- Where is Decoded headquartered?
- Decoded is headquartered in London, GB.