Formula Electric Belgium
Formula Electric Belgium vzw is a Belgian non-profit student racing team from KU Leuven and Thomas More that annually designs, builds, and races electric and driverless Formula Student cars, funded primarily through tiered corporate sponsorships and supported by STEM education workshops for schools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersKessel-lo, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Formula Electric Belgium does
Formula Electric Belgium vzw is a Belgian non-profit student engineering organization that designs, builds, and races electric Formula Student race cars on an annual nine-month cycle. Founded in 2014 from the merger of Formula Group T and Lessius Racing Team, the team draws from KU Leuven's postgraduate Technovation program and Thomas More University College, fielding 68-82 engineering students each year across mechanical, electronics, driverless, vehicle dynamics, composites, aerodynamics, and powertrain departments. The current car, TMC Zenith, is the twelfth consecutive electric vehicle produced by the team and incorporates proprietary in-wheel motors with custom planetary gearboxes, a carbon-fiber monocoque optimized through layup redesign, a custom battery management system with automatic cell-balancing, and a driverless perception and control stack using LiDAR, machine-learning cone detection, and Model Predictive Control.
The team competes across Formula Student events in the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Spain, and France, and in 2025 recorded Belgium's first-ever driverless trackdrive completion and its highest-ever competition point total at FSN 2025, alongside a 2nd place finish in the Techsoft Simulation Award at both FS Czech 2025 and FSG 2025.
Revenue is generated almost entirely through tiered corporate sponsorship — Platinum (TMC), Gold (Ford, Sonaca, ASCO, Siemens, Melexis), Silver (HPE, Stellantis E Transmissions, and others), and Bronze (Altium, Schaeffler, Maxon, Hexcel, DigiKey, Tata Steel Netherlands, Zeiss) — in which partners contribute cash, components, or engineering services in exchange for brand visibility, talent recruitment access, and tax-deductible support to a registered Belgian vzw. A secondary, smaller revenue stream comes from STEM workshops delivered to Belgian primary and secondary schools at €10 per student, and in 2026 the team added a public crowdfunding channel via steunactie.be. Go-to-market is event-driven: recruitment through university job fairs and an annual February-April application process, sponsor acquisition through direct outreach anchored on demonstrated competition performance, and brand-building through press coverage in outlets such as HLN, Veto, and Rob TV.
Formula Electric Belgium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Formula Electric Belgium
- Legal name
- Formula Electric Belgium vzw
- Website
- https://formulaelectric.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Formula Electric Belgium vzw is a Belgian non-profit student racing team from KU Leuven and Thomas More that annually designs, builds, and races electric and driverless Formula Student cars, funded primarily through tiered corporate sponsorships and supported by STEM education workshops for schools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Formula Electric Belgium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Electric vehicle engineering and motorsport (Formula Student)
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)
- SIC
- Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Motorsports Teams & Entrants (Factory & Independent) (MPAKAGAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.) (MPAKABAB), Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies (MPAKAJAJ)
Keywords
Where Formula Electric Belgium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kessel-lo
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Formula Electric Belgium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sponsorship Revenue: Formula Electric Belgium operates primarily through corporate sponsorships. Companies become partners at various tiers (Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Regular, Supporter) providing financial support, products, services, and expertise. The team offers visibility, brand exposure, and access to talented engineering students in return.
- STEM Workshop Fees: The team generates minor revenue through STEM workshop sessions for schools at €10 per student plus travel costs. This educational outreach service provides hands-on engineering experience to elementary and high school students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Per session | STEM Workshop Session |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Formula Electric Belgium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Formula Electric Belgium designs, builds and tests an electric (and increasingly driverless) Formula Student race car each year within a 9-month cycle, then competes with it across European Formula Student events. The team operates as a vzw non-profit, staffed by ~68 postgraduate and part-time students from KU Leuven and Thomas More universities, and is funded primarily through tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum to Supporter) plus paid STEM workshops delivered to schools (€10/student).
Product overview
Formula Electric Belgium is a student racing team from KU Leuven and Thomas More that designs, builds and competes with electric Formula Student race cars. The core product is the annual electric race car (currently TMC Zenith, their 12th car) featuring electric powertrain with in-wheel motors, autonomous/driverless systems, advanced aerodynamics with sustainable materials, and sophisticated telemetry. Supporting services include STEM workshops for educational outreach and R&D thesis programs. The team competes in both the electric class and driverless cup across European Formula Student competitions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Formula Electric Belgium annual electric race car A new electric Formula Student race car designed, built, and tested each year by Formula Electric Belgium student engineers from KU Leuven and Thomas More to compete at European Formula Student events (Czech Republic, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands). Each iteration integrates in-wheel motors, carbon-fibre monocoque, telemetry and progressively driverless systems, and culminates in international competition.
- FEB STEM Workshop School-based STEM outreach session in which Formula Electric Belgium visits primary and secondary schools with their electric race car to introduce students to engineering through a 15-minute team presentation, 90 minutes of hands-on experiments and a 15-minute car demonstration.
- Thesis Research & Development Programme An academic-industry research programme where students undertake theses inside Formula Electric Belgium, evaluating advanced materials, aerodynamics, control systems, cooling, DC-DC converters, battery management systems, motor cooling, in-wheel concepts and machine-learning applications for use in future cars.
Quantifiable outcome
- TMC Zenith achieves 190kg final weight - lightest car in FEB history
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Formula Electric Belgium
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Formula Electric Belgium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature7 records
Formula Electric Belgium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and major.
- TMC (The Member Company)flagshipPlatinum sponsor and main partner. TMC provides support for the 2026 car (TMC Zenith) and previous years (TMC Falcon, TMC Comet). The partnership is central to the team's operations.
- Ford BelgiumcoreGold sponsor providing support for the team. Ford's association with the electric racing team aligns with their electric vehicle development initiatives.
- SonacacoreGold sponsor specializing in aerostructures and components, relevant to the team's aerodynamic development.
- ASCOcoreGold sponsor - Belgian company specializing in pneumatic and hydraulic components.
- SiemenscoreGold sponsor providing industrial software and technology solutions, potentially including NX CAD and Star CCM+ tools used in vehicle design and simulation.
- MelexiscoreGold sponsor - Belgian semiconductor company specializing in sensors and ICs for automotive applications, highly relevant to EV racing technology.
- Hewlett Packard EnterprisemajorSilver sponsor providing computing infrastructure and solutions for the team's design and simulation work.
- Stellantis E TransmissionsmajorSilver sponsor - part of the Stellantis group focusing on electric vehicle transmissions and drivetrain technology.
- KU Leuven UniversityflagshipInstitutional partner providing academic framework through the Technovation: Teams & Startups postgraduate program. Students from KU Leuven form the core of the team.
- Thomas More University CollegeflagshipInstitutional partner providing student participants and academic support. Students from Thomas More campuses are integral to the team composition.
- AltiummajorBronze sponsor providing PCB design software used for electronic circuit design in the race car.
- SchaefflermajorBronze sponsor - German automotive supplier specializing in motion and mobility technology, bearings, and drivetrain components.
- MaxonmajorBronze sponsor - precision motors and drive systems supplier, relevant to electric motor and motion control applications.
- HexcelmajorBronze sponsor - advanced composite materials supplier for carbon fiber and structural materials used in chassis construction.
- ZeissmajorRegular sponsor - precision optics and measurement technology provider, useful for quality control and testing.
- DigiKeymajorBronze sponsor - electronic components distributor providing access to electronic parts and components.
- Technovation HubflagshipInstitutional partner supporting the postgraduate program and providing workshop offerings for student development.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Formula Electric Belgium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AMZ Racing (Academic Motorsports Club Zürich): ETH Zürich's Formula Student electric team and multiple world-title contender. The closest comparable because it competes in the same Formula Student EV and driverless categories, builds a new electric race car annually, and is anchored by a top technical university and an industrial sponsor roster.
- TUfast e-gnition: TU Munich's Formula Student EV team and multiple overall competition winner. Operates with the same annual build cycle, sponsor-funded model, and driverless-capable platform — making it one of the most closely comparable European university racing teams.
- KA-RaceIng: KIT Karlsruhe's Formula Student team and a direct peer that builds electric race cars for FS events across Europe, with comparable team size, engineering depth, and operating model anchored in a leading German technical university.
- GreenTeam: University of Stuttgart's Formula Student team, known for record-setting electric vehicles. Operates with similar annual build cadence and EV/driverless competition focus, making it a relevant peer on engineering outputs and competition positioning.
- DUT Racing (TU Delft): Delft University of Technology's Formula Student team. Closely comparable because it competes in the same European Formula Student EV/driverless events (including Netherlands), uses the same industrial sponsor model, and is a fellow Benelux-based engineering student racing team.
- KTH Formula Student: KTH Royal Institute of Technology's Formula Student electric racing team in Stockholm. Comparable as a European university EV racing team competing in overlapping FS competition circuits with a similar sponsor-driven funding structure and annual build cadence.
- TU Graz Racing Team: Graz University of Technology's Formula Student team and a direct comparable in the same EU Formula Student ecosystem, building electric race cars annually with industrial sponsorship backing and competing across the European FS calendar.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Formula Electric Belgium social profiles
Digital presenceFormula Electric Belgium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Formula Electric Belgium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Formula Electric Belgium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Formula Electric Belgium 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 Formula Electric Belgium
What does Formula Electric Belgium do?
Formula Electric Belgium designs, builds and tests an electric (and increasingly driverless) Formula Student race car each year within a 9-month cycle, then competes with it across European Formula Student events. The team operates as a vzw non-profit, staffed by ~68 postgraduate and part-time students from KU Leuven and Thomas More universities, and is funded primarily through tiered corporate sponsorships (Platinum to Supporter) plus paid STEM workshops delivered to schools (€10/student).
Is Formula Electric Belgium a public or private company?
Formula Electric Belgium is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Formula Electric Belgium founded?
Formula Electric Belgium was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Formula Electric Belgium based?
Formula Electric Belgium is headquartered in Kessel-lo, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Formula Electric Belgium make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Sponsorship Revenue is the primary driver. The others are STEM Workshop Fees.
Who are Formula Electric Belgium's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AMZ Racing (Academic Motorsports Club Zürich), TUfast e-gnition, KA-RaceIng, GreenTeam, DUT Racing (TU Delft), KTH Formula Student and TU Graz Racing Team.
Does Formula Electric Belgium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Formula Electric Belgium.
What industry is Formula Electric Belgium in?
Formula Electric Belgium's product category is Electric vehicle engineering and motorsport (Formula Student). Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAGAB, Motorsports Teams & Entrants (Factory & Independent), with a secondary code of MPAKABAB, Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7948.