AI and coding firm's 'pride' at business award

The founder of a company which teaches computer coding and AI has described getting a business of the year award as a milestone for the firm,

The School of Coding & AI (SOC) was given the accolade at Birmingham's Signature Awards, which celebrates businesses.

The company teaches people on their own, in businesses or in public sector organisations and, in the last year, opened a £2.5m tech lab in Birmingham, redeveloped its Wolverhampton headquarters and launched an international campus in Dubai.

The firm's chief executive and founder, Manny Athwal, said it was a "great honour" to be recognised in the Midlands.

"We started with a mission to reshape digital education and create genuine pathways into tech careers, and this recognition shows the real-world impact we are making," he said.

"We are growing as a global business but we are immensely proud of our Midlands roots, so receiving this award in Birmingham is a great honour."

The school opened a city centre campus in early 2025 in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton, offering computer science, business management, and health and social care courses with AI "across the curriculum".

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