CYBATHLON
CYBATHLON is a non-profit ETH Zürich competition platform that benchmarks assistive technologies — brain-computer interfaces, prostheses, exoskeletons, vision assistance, and robotics — by having research teams test devices with pilots with disabilities in real-life tasks.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersZürich, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CYBATHLON does
CYBATHLON is a non-profit competition platform initiated by ETH Zürich that brings together research teams, engineers, and pilots with disabilities to test assistive technologies in real-life everyday tasks rather than in laboratory settings. The platform covers multiple disciplines including brain-computer interfaces, arm and leg prostheses, exoskeletons, robotic assistance, and vision assistance, providing a standardized public benchmark for each technology category. The competition operates on a quadrennial cadence (2016, 2020, 2024), with each edition progressively broadening in scale, discipline breadth, and geographic participation.
The 2020 edition pivoted to a fully virtual format and hosted 51 teams from 20 countries across six disciplines, demonstrating the platform's ability to operate without a single physical host. The 2024 edition expanded further to 67 teams across 8 disciplines and was distributed across multiple international hubs. CYBATHLON is organized as a non-commercial academic initiative under ETH Zürich; there is no disclosed pricing model, paid customer base, or equity funding. The primary outputs are benchmarking events, public visibility for assistive-tech research, and a recurring reference framework that research teams plan around.
CYBATHLON firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CYBATHLON
- Legal name
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH Zürich)
- Website
- https://cybathlon.ethz.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CYBATHLON is a non-profit ETH Zürich competition platform that benchmarks assistive technologies — brain-computer interfaces, prostheses, exoskeletons, vision assistance, and robotics — by having research teams test devices with pilots with disabilities in real-life tasks.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CYBATHLON industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistive Technology Competitions
- NAICS
- All Other Amusement and Recreation Industries (71399), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Adaptive & Para-Sport Event Organizers (MPAKADAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Sports & Active Rehabilitation Devices (Adaptive Sports Mobility, Performance Prosthetics) (HLAHAMAJ), AT Device Setup, Integration & Technical Support (MDM, IT, Interoperability) (EDAKAIAK)
Keywords
Where CYBATHLON is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zürich
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CYBATHLON business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
CYBATHLON product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CYBATHLON is a global, non-commercial competition platform organized by ETH Zürich that challenges teams worldwide to develop assistive technologies suitable for everyday use by people with disabilities. The platform features multiple competition disciplines including arm prosthesis, vision assistance, brain-computer interface (BCI), functional electrical stimulation, and exoskeleton races, hosted as a triennial event series (2016, 2020, 2024).
Product overview
CYBATHLON is a single unified platform — a global competition event series organized by ETH Zürich — rather than a software product with modules. The platform serves as the organizing framework for international assistive technology competitions, hosting multiple discipline-specific races (arm prosthesis, vision assistance, BCI, functional electrical stimulation, exoskeleton, and more) across three major editions (2016, 2020, 2024). The offering consists of the CYBATHLON event itself, plus associated sub-platforms including an online Video Center and Events Calendar. The platform does not offer a commercial product; it functions as a competition and showcase venue for assistive technologies developed by participating teams worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CYBATHLON Competition Platform A global, triennial competition event series organized by ETH Zürich that challenges teams worldwide to develop assistive technologies suitable for everyday use by people with disabilities. Features eight competition disciplines including arm prosthesis, vision assistance, brain-computer interface (BCI), functional electrical stimulation, and exoskeleton races. Participation is open to university research teams, academic institutions, and companies developing assistive technologies.
Quantifiable outcome
- 67 teams from 24 nations participated in CYBATHLON 2024, demonstrating the scale of global engagement
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use CYBATHLON
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
CYBATHLON technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
CYBATHLON partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SWISS ArenacoreSWISS Arena in Kloten, Switzerland serves as the primary venue for CYBATHLON events. The arena hosted CYBATHLON 2016 with 66 teams and CYBATHLON 2024 with 67 teams from 24 nations, providing the physical infrastructure for the global competition.
- International Hubs (USA, Canada, South Africa, Hungary, Thailand, South Korea)coreCYBATHLON 2024 was connected to 7 international hubs across 5 countries, enabling remote participation and expanding global reach. Hubs were located in USA, Canada, South Africa, Hungary, Thailand, and South Korea (2 hubs).
- Future Host Organizations (Asia 2028)minorETH Zürich is in discussions with potential organizations to take over leading CYBATHLON. The next edition is being discussed for Asia in 2028, representing potential new partnerships for the continuation of the event.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
CYBATHLON competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- International Paralympic Committee (IPC): The global governing body for Paralympic sport, organizing elite adaptive sport competitions. Comparable to CYBATHLON as a large-scale adaptive/para-sport event organizer with a global brand, though IPC focuses on elite athletic competition rather than assistive technology validation.
- Special Olympics: Global movement providing year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. Comparable as a major adaptive sport organization with strong global brand, though focused on intellectual rather than physical disability and on athletic performance rather than assistive technology.
- DARPA Grand Challenge: U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency prize competitions for autonomous vehicles and other breakthrough technologies. Comparable to CYBATHLON as a high-profile technology competition that validates real-world capability of advanced hardware/AI systems, though focused on defense applications rather than assistive technology.
Direct peers
- RoboCup: International robotics competition with multiple leagues (soccer, rescue, industrial, home). Comparable to CYBATHLON as a multi-disciplinary robotics competition with academic backing that benchmarks real-world task performance, though focused on autonomous robots rather than human-assistive technology.
- Cybathlon ETH Zürich (Successor Edition / Asia 2028 organizing body, TBD): The hypothetical successor organization that takes over CYBATHLON's mission, potentially based in Asia for a 2028 edition. Directly comparable as the next iteration of the same platform and brand, representing both the natural peer and the institutional successor to the original ETH Zürich project.
- FIRST Robotics: Global robotics competition platform for students with annual regional and championship events. Comparable to CYBATHLON as a structured, multi-discipline technology competition that benchmarks real-world device performance, though targeting student teams rather than assistive technology.
- Warrior Games (U.S. Department of Defense): Adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill, and injured service members organized annually. Comparable to CYBATHLON as a recurring adaptive sport event with international participation, though with a more frequent (annual) cadence and military-only participant base.
- Invictus Games: International adaptive sport competition for wounded, injured, and sick service personnel. Highly comparable to CYBATHLON as a multi-disciplinary adaptive sport event with global media attention, disability advocacy positioning, and recurring (though more frequent) competition cadence.
Others
- RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America): Professional society for AT developers, researchers, and users that runs an annual conference. Comparable to CYBATHLON as the principal North American convening point for the assistive technology research community, though operating as an academic/association platform rather than a competitive event.
Emerging players
- World Robot Olympiad: Global robotics competition for students with national and international finals. Comparable to CYBATHLON as a multi-discipline robotics competition with global reach and academic sponsorship, though aimed at younger students and a broader robotics mandate rather than assistive technology.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CYBATHLON social profiles
Digital presenceCYBATHLON financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CYBATHLON leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CYBATHLON funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CYBATHLON 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 CYBATHLON
What does CYBATHLON do?
CYBATHLON is a global, non-commercial competition platform organized by ETH Zürich that challenges teams worldwide to develop assistive technologies suitable for everyday use by people with disabilities. The platform features multiple competition disciplines including arm prosthesis, vision assistance, brain-computer interface (BCI), functional electrical stimulation, and exoskeleton races, hosted as a triennial event series (2016, 2020, 2024).
Is CYBATHLON a public or private company?
CYBATHLON is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was CYBATHLON founded?
CYBATHLON was founded in 2013. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CYBATHLON based?
CYBATHLON is headquartered in Zürich, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
Who are CYBATHLON's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Special Olympics and DARPA Grand Challenge. Direct peers are RoboCup, Cybathlon ETH Zürich (Successor Edition / Asia 2028 organizing body, TBD), FIRST Robotics, Warrior Games (U.S. Department of Defense) and Invictus Games. RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America) is listed as an others. World Robot Olympiad is listed as an emerging player.
Does CYBATHLON have an API?
No public API is recorded for CYBATHLON.
What industry is CYBATHLON in?
CYBATHLON's product category is Assistive Technology Competitions. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKADAM, Adaptive & Para-Sport Event Organizers, with a secondary code of HLAHAMAJ, Sports & Active Rehabilitation Devices (Adaptive Sports Mobility, Performance Prosthetics). Its NAICS code is 71399 and its SIC code is 7900.