Hardt Hyperloop
Hardt Hyperloop (Hardt B.V.) was a Dutch deeptech company developing hyperloop vehicles, proprietary lane-switching and traction systems, and the European Hyperloop Center test facility, serving governments, airports, railway operators, and logistics players. The company filed for bankruptcy in March 2026.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersDelft, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hardt Hyperloop does
Hardt Hyperloop (legal entity Hardt B.V.) was a Dutch deeptech company founded in 2016 as a spin-off from TU Delft that developed hyperloop transportation technology, specifically the vehicles, traction systems, and lane-switching infrastructure required to move autonomous pods through low-pressure tubes at design speeds up to 700 km/h. Its core products comprised a 40-passenger and a cargo-optimized (14 Euro pallet) vehicle built on a 24m carbon fiber monocoque, a complete traction solutions stack (vacuum-fit hybrid magnets, closed-loop airgap sensors, SiC-based magnet drives, laminated e-steel track sets), and the proprietary Hyperloop Lane Switch — claimed to be the world's first lane-switching mechanism without moving mechanical components. The company also operated the 420-meter European Hyperloop Center (EHC) in Veendam, an open test facility that it initiated and supplied with the core system.
Hardt monetized through four revenue streams: hardware sales of vehicles, hardware sales of traction solutions, application engineering services, and route development services. Its go-to-market was B2B infrastructure sales targeting national and regional government transport authorities, airport operators (notably Royal Schiphol Group), railway operators (RFI/FS Italiane), logistics and e-commerce players, and other hyperloop developers using the EHC. Pricing was custom and non-public. Strategic backing came from the European Commission's EIC Accelerator (€15M, the first EU hyperloop funding), InnoEnergy, Koolen Industries, POSCO International, Urban Impact Ventures, and Dutch regional funds, cumulatively over €30M raised. The company was a co-founder of the Hyperloop Association and an initiator of the European hyperloop standard (JTC 20 under CEN/CENELEC).
Despite technical milestones — Europe's first full-scale hyperloop test facility (2019), EHC opening (March 2024), and a full-system speed record of 85 km/h with lane-switching (September 2025) — Hardt never transitioned from testing to commercial application. In March 2026, the company filed for bankruptcy after a court in The Hague declared Hardt B.V. bankrupt, ending operations while leaving the EHC's future uncertain.
Hardt Hyperloop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hardt Hyperloop
- Legal name
- Hardt B.V.
- Website
- http://hardt.global
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hardt Hyperloop (Hardt B.V.) was a Dutch deeptech company developing hyperloop vehicles, proprietary lane-switching and traction systems, and the European Hyperloop Center test facility, serving governments, airports, railway operators, and logistics players. The company filed for bankruptcy in March 2026.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hardt Hyperloop industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hyperloop Transportation Systems
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing (3362), Industrial Truck, Tractor, Trailer, and Stacker Machinery Manufacturing (333924), Overhead Traveling Crane, Hoist, and Monorail System Manufacturing (333923)
- SIC
- Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Industrial Trucks, Tractors, Trailors & Stackers (3537), Miscellaneous Transportation Equipment (3790)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hypersonic Systems (Weapons & Defense) (IMABAOAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Energy & Power Projects (Oil & Gas, Renewables, Power Generation) (TLACAIAB)
Keywords
Where Hardt Hyperloop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Delft
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Hardt Hyperloop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Vehicle Sales: Hardt supplies hyperloop vehicles to hyperloop projects worldwide. Vehicles are custom-built high-speed autonomous pods for passenger and cargo transport.
- Traction Solutions: Hardt develops and provides high-tech traction solutions (magnets, sensors, drives, tracks) to hyperloop projects worldwide. These are the active components required on the vehicle and infrastructure for magnetic levitation, guidance, propulsion, and lane switching.
- Application Engineering Services: Comprehensive services encompassing design, development, and implementation of hyperloop systems including application engineering of hyperloop infrastructure, specific traction solutions, and overall hyperloop system concept design.
- Route Development Services: Collaborating with key stakeholders to plan, design, and implement hyperloop networks that connect key locations. Services include route design with airports and cities/provinces.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Hardt Hyperloop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hardt Hyperloop designs, develops, and supplies hyperloop transportation systems, including high-speed autonomous passenger and cargo vehicles (up to 700 km/h), complete traction solutions (magnets, sensors, drives, and laminated track sets for magnetic levitation, guidance, propulsion, and lane switching), and professional application engineering and route development services. The company also initiated and supplied the core system for the European Hyperloop Center, a 420-meter open test facility in Veendam, Netherlands.
Product overview
Hardt Hyperloop offers a comprehensive hyperloop transportation system comprising hyperloop vehicles (40-passenger and cargo-optimized designs with up to 700 km/h speed), traction solutions (magnets, sensors, drives, and tracks for magnetic levitation, guidance, propulsion, and lane switching), and application engineering and route development services. The company initiated the European Hyperloop Center, an open testing facility in the Netherlands where Hardt and other developers test hyperloop vehicles. The company supplies high-tech traction solutions to hyperloop projects worldwide and provides technology partnership for hyperloop implementations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cargoloop: Hyperloop solution for transporting freight in which autonomous vehicles travel through low-pressure tubes at speeds up to 700 km/h, enabling end-to-end zero-emission delivery on a continental scale.
- CABIN-1
- European Hyperloop Center
Products and services
- Hyperloop Vehicle High-speed autonomous hyperloop vehicles available in 40-passenger and cargo-optimized variants, with 24m length, 2.5m diameter, lightweight carbon fiber monocoque structure, 3 MW propulsion system, and magnetic levitation enabling speeds up to 700 km/h. Designed for hyperloop project developers and infrastructure operators building passenger and freight networks.
- Traction Solutions Complete set of active components for magnetic levitation, guidance, propulsion, and lane switching on the vehicle and infrastructure. Includes vacuum-fit (hybrid) magnet units, closed-loop airgap control sensors, SiC-based magnet drives with maximum EMC resilience, and laminated e-steel track sets. Supplied to hyperloop projects worldwide.
- Application Engineering Services Comprehensive engineering services covering hyperloop infrastructure design, traction solution application engineering, and overall hyperloop system concept design. Delivered to industry-leading clients and government partners.
- Route Development Services Expert services for planning, designing, and implementing hyperloop networks connecting key locations. Collaborates with airports, cities, and provinces to create efficient, sustainable routes that minimize environmental impact.
- European Hyperloop Center (EHC) Open hyperloop test and demonstration facility in Veendam, Groningen, Netherlands, featuring a 420-meter test tube with a full lane switch for testing hyperloop vehicles from multiple developers. Part of the Hyperloop Development Program public-private partnership.
Quantifiable outcome
- Hyperloop uses only 10% of energy needed for roads and aviation
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Hardt Hyperloop
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Hardt Hyperloop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Hardt Hyperloop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, major and core.
- HardtankminorNote: Hardtank is a separate company that provides counter-top extraction systems for cold brew coffee - unrelated to hyperloop technology. Included for completeness only.
- EuroTube (Switzerland)majorSwiss hyperloop developer part of Hyperloop Development Program. Part of European Research Infrastructure Cluster together with European Hyperloop Center and DemoTube (120m Swiss facility).
- Nevomo (Poland)majorPolish hyperloop developer part of Hyperloop Development Program working on hyperloop technology development.
- Zeleros (Spain)coreStrategic partnership between Dutch Hardt and Spanish Zeleros to accelerate hyperloop deployment. Parties collaborating on shared development roadmap for technology convergence and interoperability. First step involves collaborative testing at European Hyperloop Center. Goal of achieving operational pilot route by 2030 and preparing for large-scale deployment.
- TuTr Hyperloop (India)coreMoU signed during Dutch Trade Mission to India for European-Indian hyperloop collaboration. Aims to achieve interoperable hyperloop technology between Europe and India through joint development, demonstration, de-risking, and deployment efforts. Goal is operational demonstration route before 2030.
- The Hyperloop AssociationmajorFirst international hyperloop association launched in Brussels with founding members Hardt, Hyperloop One, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Nevomo, TransPod, Swisspod Technologies, and Zeleros. Aims to stimulate development, participate in policy making with government and regulatory agencies.
- Tata Steel Nederland (Netherlands)corePartnership for development and supply of hyperloop-specialized steel alloy. Tata Steel and POSCO collaborated on two-year research project to develop steel exclusively for hyperloop construction. Steel increases infrastructure stability through better vibration absorption and reduced resonance.
- POSCO (Korea)corePartnership with Tata Steel for hyperloop-specific steel alloy development and supply. POSCO developing specialized steel with better vibration absorption properties for hyperloop tube infrastructure.
- Rete Ferroviaria Italiana (RFI), FS Italiane Group (Italy)coreMoU extension for continued joint study on hyperloop technology. RFI contributing expertise in railway traffic management, signaling, and control for development of future hyperloop subsystems. Analyzing potential hyperloop corridors in Italy through technical-economic feasibility studies.
- Hyperloop Development Program (HDP)corePublic-private partnership consisting of 20+ private partners with financial backing from European Commission, Dutch Government, and Province of Groningen. Main project is European Hyperloop Center. Inclusive ecosystem where companies and institutions collaborate equally to accelerate hyperloop development.
- Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS) - Dutch RailwaysmajorNational railway operator supporting Hardt's European hyperloop initiative from early stages, contributing to knowledge pooling and expertise development.
- Royal BAM Group (Netherlands)coreConstruction partner involved from early stages. Previously realized Europe's first testing facility with Hardt. Part of consortium for European Hyperloop Center development.
- Royal IHC (Netherlands)coreMaritime equipment supplier contributing knowledge and expertise in handling and tunneling systems for hyperloop infrastructure construction.
- Royal Schiphol Group (Netherlands)coreAirport operator conducting joint research on hyperloop connection feasibility. Study showed hyperloop could substitute up to 12.5 million passengers by 2050. Exploring hyperloop for sustainable multi-modal hub development.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Hardt Hyperloop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TransPod: Canadian hyperloop company developing the TransPod Line between Calgary and Edmonton, with overlapping ambitions in European corridors; co-founding Hyperloop Association member alongside Hardt.
- Zeleros: Spanish hyperloop developer that signed a strategic partnership with Hardt in October 2023 to develop interoperable cross-border hyperloop systems and collaborate on testing at the European Hyperloop Center, aiming at an operational pilot route by 2030.
- Hyperloop Transportation Technologies: US-based hyperloop developer and co-founding member of the Brussels-based Hyperloop Association alongside Hardt, pursuing passenger and freight hyperloop systems in Europe, the US, and Asia with overlapping target customers and public-partnership models.
- Nevomo: Polish hyperloop developer and fellow Hyperloop Development Program partner working on maglev-based transportation technology; shares the European Hyperloop Center ecosystem and pursues overlapping European corridor opportunities.
- Swisspod Technologies: Swiss hyperloop developer and Hyperloop Association co-founder focused on high-speed passenger transport, operating in a closely adjacent European regulatory environment and partnering with research institutions similar to Hardt.
Broad incumbents
- Alstom: French global rail incumbent (TGV, high-speed rail, signaling) and partner of choice for European transport authorities; represents the broader incumbent ecosystem whose infrastructure, customer relationships, and certification expertise any hyperloop rollout would need to displace or integrate with.
- Siemens Mobility: German rail and mobility incumbent (Velaro high-speed trains, signaling, infrastructure) with deep relationships across European rail operators and governments; comparable customer base and serves as a credible system-integrator alternative to hyperloop technology.
- CRRC: China's state-owned rail equipment manufacturer and operator of the Shanghai Maglev — the only commercial high-speed magnetic levitation system in revenue service; provides the closest scaled precedent for the levitation, propulsion, and switching technology Hardt is commercializing.
Emerging players
- EuroTube: Swiss non-profit building the 120-meter DemoTube hyperloop test infrastructure; part of the European Research Infrastructure Cluster with Hardt's European Hyperloop Center, providing complementary low-cost testing capacity.
Others
- WSP Global: Global engineering consultancy actively engaged in hyperloop feasibility studies (e.g., Great Lakes corridor) and serving as an external systems integrator for transportation infrastructure projects — comparable in providing route development and application engineering services to public-sector clients.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hardt Hyperloop social profiles
Digital presenceHardt Hyperloop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hardt Hyperloop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Hardt Hyperloop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors12 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hardt Hyperloop M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hardt Hyperloop
What does Hardt Hyperloop do?
Hardt Hyperloop designs, develops, and supplies hyperloop transportation systems, including high-speed autonomous passenger and cargo vehicles (up to 700 km/h), complete traction solutions (magnets, sensors, drives, and laminated track sets for magnetic levitation, guidance, propulsion, and lane switching), and professional application engineering and route development services. The company also initiated and supplied the core system for the European Hyperloop Center, a 420-meter open test facility in Veendam, Netherlands.
Is Hardt Hyperloop a public or private company?
Hardt Hyperloop is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently closed.
When was Hardt Hyperloop founded?
Hardt Hyperloop was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hardt Hyperloop based?
Hardt Hyperloop is headquartered in Delft, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Hardt Hyperloop make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Vehicle Sales are the primary driver. The others are traction Solutions, application Engineering Services and route Development Services.
Who are Hardt Hyperloop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TransPod, Zeleros, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Nevomo and Swisspod Technologies. Broad incumbents are Alstom, Siemens Mobility and CRRC. EuroTube is listed as an emerging player. WSP Global is listed as an others.
Does Hardt Hyperloop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hardt Hyperloop.
What industry is Hardt Hyperloop in?
Hardt Hyperloop's product category is Hyperloop Transportation Systems. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABAOAG, Hypersonic Systems (Weapons & Defense), with a secondary code of TLACAIAB, Energy & Power Projects (Oil & Gas, Renewables, Power Generation). Its NAICS code is 3362 and its SIC code is 3531.