Cornell Baja Racing

What Cornell Baja Racing does

Cornell Baja Racing (legally "Baja Racing at Cornell") is a student engineering project team at Cornell University that annually designs, builds, and races a single-seat off-road All-Terrain Vehicle for the SAE Collegiate Baja Design Series. Founded in 2003 and operating from Cornell's facilities in Ithaca, New York, the team involves more than 50 students annually across 13 academic majors, organized into six subteams: Drivetrain, Suspension, Frame, Brakes, Business, and R&D. Each vehicle is custom-engineered within competition constraints — including a 10 HP engine limit — with proprietary subsystems spanning a custom continuously variable transmission (CVT), gearboxes, driveshafts, wheel hubs, suspension linkages, roll cage/frame, and brake system (master cylinders, rotors, calipers), validated through engine dynamometer and on-car telemetry. The team has competed in three North American SAE events per year since 2014, with each event drawing more than 100 university teams.

The organization does not sell products or services commercially; rather, it is funded by corporate sponsorships and alumni donations processed through Cornell University's giving portal. Its sponsor stack is anchored by Premier Partners — Cornell University, SolidWorks, ANSYS, The Gleason Works, and G&C Design and Fabrication — and extends to Major Supporters including Rivian, Gates, BorgWarner, KISSsoft, 3Dconnexion, Siemens, Anduril, and the Haas Foundation, among 50+ named corporate backers. A sub-brand initiative called #girlsofbaja, launched in 2017, produces promotional apparel and promotes gender parity in engineering; the program has been adopted by other Cornell engineering teams and is being extended to other Baja SAE universities. The team's go-to-market motion is entirely event-driven (competition participation) and its geographic footprint is limited to North America.

Competitive results compound over time: the team has logged 10 competition wins and 30 top-five finishes since its first competition in 2006, including a 1st Place Mike Schmidt Memorial Award in 2025 and 1st Place Overall at all three 2026 TG22 competitions (Marana, AZ; Mechanicsville, MD; Gray Court, SC), with category-leading finishes in Overall Dynamics, Hill Climb, Sales, and Design. Approximately 50% of team members and the majority of leadership positions are held by women, a structural feature formalized through #girlsofbaja. The team is governed by student leadership and faculty advisor Rajesh Bhaskaran, with no independent ownership, no equity structure, and no disclosed investor relationships.

Name

Cornell Baja Racing

Legal name

Baja Racing at Cornell

Website

https://baja.mae.cornell.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cornell Baja Racing is a Cornell University student engineering project team that annually designs, builds, and races a custom off-road vehicle for the SAE Collegiate Baja Design Series, serving 50+ students across six technical subteams.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Off-Road Vehicle Engineering

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Chassis Mechatronics & Active Dynamics (Active Suspension/Steer-by-Wire/Brake-by-Wire Hardware) (IMACAIAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Axle, Differential & Final Drive Manufacturing (Front/Rear/E-axle housings) (IMACAHAG)

Keywords

• Off-road vehicle engineering
• SAE baja competition
• Student engineering projects
• Custom drivetrain design
• Vehicle suspension systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: Cornell Baja Racing receives monetary, material, and service contributions from sponsors including Cornell University, SolidWorks, ANSYS, The Gleason Works, and 50+ other corporate sponsors. Sponsorship inquiries are managed by Business Lead Rex Popick.
2. Donations: The team accepts donations through Cornell University's alumni donation portal. Donations go directly toward materials, manufacturing, and competition costs for the student team.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cornell Baja Racing is a student engineering project team that annually designs, builds, and races a custom off-road All-Terrain Vehicle for the SAE Collegiate Baja Design Series. The team operates 6 specialized subteams (Drivetrain, Suspension, Frame, Brakes, Business, and R&D) that collaborate to produce a competition vehicle featuring custom CVT, gearboxes, driveshafts, wheel hubs, suspension linkages, roll cage, and brake systems. The team also operates the #girlsofbaja initiative, which includes promotional apparel celebrating female participation in engineering.

Product overview

Cornell Baja Racing is a student engineering project team that designs, builds, and races off-road All-Terrain Vehicles for the SAE Collegiate Baja Design Series. The team operates as a single unified project with six functional subteams (Drivetrain, Suspension, Frame, Brakes, Business, and R&D) that collaborate annually to produce a competition vehicle. The team also operates the #girlsofbaja initiative which includes promotional apparel. There is no commercial product or SaaS offering—the team is a collegiate competition team, not a product company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• #girlsofbaja: An initiative celebrating female participation in engineering and Baja Racing at Cornell, promoting gender equality on the team. Started in 2017, the initiative has spread awareness across Cornell campus and other Baja SAE collegiate teams.

Products and services

• Baja SAE Off-Road Vehicle An annually designed and built off-road All-Terrain Vehicle that competes in the SAE Collegiate Baja Design Series across three North American competitions. The vehicle features custom CVT, gearboxes, driveshafts, wheel hubs, suspension linkages, roll cage, brakes, and other components designed and manufactured by the student team. Limited to 10 HP engine per competition rules.
• #girlsofbaja Apparel Promotional apparel including t-shirts, hoodies, and hats celebrating female participation in engineering. The initiative promotes gender equality in engineering and partners with other Baja SAE teams. Available for order requests via [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 competition wins since founding in 2003
• +5 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered premier, major and supporting.

• Cornell UniversitypremierStrategic or Co-development PartnerCornell University provides vital facilities and resources that enable team members to design and build vehicles. Cornell is a Premier Partner of Baja Racing at Cornell.
• SolidWorkspremierTechnology or IntegrationSolidWorks provides industry-leading 3D CAD software that enables team members to design, visualize, and simulate complex components with precision. Premier Partner.
• ANSYSpremierTechnology or IntegrationANSYS provides engineering simulation software that helps solve complex design and engineering challenges. Premier Partner.
• The Gleason WorkspremierTechnology or IntegrationGleason Works develops state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment for bevel gears and is a competence center for bevel and cylindrical gear machines. Premier Partner providing precision manufacturing capabilities.
• G&C Design and FabricationpremierTechnology or IntegrationG&C Design and Fabrication specializes in precision manufacturing, providing advanced machining services to produce complex components with exceptional accuracy and efficiency. Premier Partner.
• RivianmajorOthersMajor supporter of Cornell Baja Racing as part of their sponsorship network.
• AndurilsupportingOthersSupporting tier sponsor providing resources for the team.
• SiemenssupportingTechnology or IntegrationSupporting tier sponsor providing engineering technology solutions.
• GatesmajorOthersMajor supporter providing automotive components.
• BorgwarnermajorOthersMajor supporter providing automotive technology.
• Haas FoundationmajorOthersMajor supporter providing manufacturing equipment.
• KISSsoftmajorTechnology or IntegrationMajor supporter providing gear design and calculation software.
• 3DconnexionmajorTechnology or IntegrationMajor supporter providing 3D navigation devices for CAD design.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Polaris Inc. Polaris is a major off-road vehicle OEM whose commercial side-by-side and ATV products occupy the broader off-road mobility category that the Baja SAE vehicle conceptually resembles in miniaturized, competition-format form. Relevant as a broadly comparable off-road technology category incumbent and a potential downstream employer of Baja alumni.
• SAE International: SAE International is the parent organization that designs the rules, sanctions competitions, and administers the awards (including the Mike Schmidt Memorial Award) that Cornell Baja competes for. Functions as the broader industry incumbent that frames the competition in which Cornell participates.

Direct peers

• Oregon State University Baja SAE: Oregon State's Baja SAE team is one of the West Coast contenders that Cornell faces at events like Marana AZ and Portland OR. Operates under the same SAE rules and competes for the same championship awards.
• Georgia Tech Motorsports (Baja SAE): Georgia Tech's collegiate motorsports program competes directly against Cornell in the SAE Collegiate Baja Design Series, operating similar 6-subteam structures (drivetrain, suspension, frame, brakes, business, R&D-equivalent) and building a custom off-road vehicle annually. Direct competition on the same courses year over year.
• Virginia Tech Baja SAE: Virginia Tech's Baja SAE team regularly appears in top-five finishes alongside Cornell and operates a comparable custom full-vehicle build program. Direct competitor in the same SAE Collegiate Baja Design Series.
• MIT Motorsports: MIT's collegiate racing program participates in SAE Baja/Formula series with a custom-engineered vehicle and similar multi-subteam structure. Directly competes with Cornell at SAE Baja competitions and targets comparable premier-tier engineering sponsors.
• Penn State Baja SAE: Penn State's Baja SAE team competes in the same North American series as Cornell. Comparable custom-build, student-led, sponsorship-funded collegiate motorsport operation.
• Texas A&M SAE Baja: Texas A&M's Baja SAE program is a regular competitor on the SAE circuit alongside Cornell, with similar technical scope (custom drivetrain, suspension, brakes, frame) and a sponsor-funded student-team operating model.
• University of Michigan Baja Racing: Long-running University of Michigan Baja SAE team that competes head-to-head with Cornell at North American SAE events. Operates with an analogous custom-build, sponsorship-funded, student-led model and represents one of the traditional powerhouses in the series.
• Purdue Motorsports: Purdue's collegiate motorsports program competes in the Baja SAE series and historically is a top-five contender. Operates a multi-subteam, custom-vehicle build model consistent with Cornell Baja's structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cubaja
• Facebookfacebook.com/CornellBajaRacing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cornell-baja-racing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cornell Baja Racing