FIRST Robotics Team 2404

Youth STEM Educationteam2404.org

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 is a Pasadena-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) high school robotics team that designs, builds, and programs competition robots for the annual FIRST Robotics Competition, serving San Gabriel Valley students through free membership and JPL/Caltech volunteer mentorship.

Company typePrivate
Founded2008
HeadquartersAltadena, United States
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What FIRST Robotics Team 2404 does

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit youth robotics team operated under Neighbors Empowering Youth Inc. (Tax ID 95-4796093), based in Pasadena, California, and serving high school students in the San Gabriel Valley. Founded in 2008 by John Smith, the team designs, builds, and programs a competition robot each year to participate in the annual FIRST Robotics Competition, alongside a broader portfolio that includes STEM outreach, fundraising, and a t-shirt cannon demonstration program.

The team's core activities integrate mechanical engineering (CAD, fabrication), electronics, and software programming, supplemented by marketing, graphic design, business development, and photography sub-teams. The team is free to join for students in 9th grade and above, with no prior experience required, and is mentored by volunteer professionals from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech, LA Propoint, and Better for All. Operations run year-round, with a build lab at the Jackie Robinson Community Center in Pasadena and a contact address at 1020 N Fair Oaks Ave.

The team is funded entirely through donations and corporate sponsorships, with published tiers ranging from $25+ (Any Donation) to $5,000+ (Platinum). Named major sponsors include NASA JPL, Caltech, BAE Systems, Gene Haas Foundation, Novelis, Ball Corporation, LittleMachineShop, and the City of Pasadena. The team markets itself through TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, its Wix-hosted website, and extensive in-person community events across the San Gabriel Valley.

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 firmographics

Firmographics

Name: FIRST Robotics Team 2404
Legal name: Neighbors Empowering Youth Inc.
Website: https://team2404.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2008
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: FIRST Robotics Team 2404 is a Pasadena-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) high school robotics team that designs, builds, and programs competition robots for the annual FIRST Robotics Competition, serving San Gabriel Valley students through free membership and JPL/Caltech volunteer mentorship.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 industry classification

Industry

Product category: Youth STEM Education
akta.pro primary industry: Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)
akta.pro secondary industries: Competitive Activities (Debate, Mock Trial, Academic Team, Robotics) (EDAJAJAD), Engineering Design & Applied STEM Challenges (Non-Robotics) (EDAMABAK), Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA)

Keywords

STEM education programs
Robotics competitions
Youth engineering training
FIRST robotics teams
Hands-on STEM learning

Where FIRST Robotics Team 2404 is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Altadena
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

Donations and Sponsorships: The team operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID 95-4796093) funded primarily through donations and sponsorships at various levels from $25+ individual donations to $5000+ Platinum sponsors. Sponsors receive benefits including competition attendance, logo placement on team materials, banners, and robots.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Other	One-time	Any Donation $25+
Other	One-time	Bronze: $100+
Other	One-time	Silver: $500+
Other	One-time	Gold: $1500+
Other	One-time	Platinum: $5000+

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 product offering

Product offering

Core offering

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 is a high school robotics competition team that annually designs, builds, and programs a robot to complete tasks set by the FIRST Robotics Competition. In parallel, the team runs STEM education outreach, develops marketing and fundraising strategies, and recruits and trains 9th-12th grade students in programming, engineering, electronics, CAD, graphic design, photography, and business.

Product overview

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 operates as a FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) team offering a portfolio of programs centered around robot design, building, and programming for annual competitions. The core product consists of designing and constructing competition robots, supplemented by STEM education outreach programs featuring robot demonstrations and community events. The team also provides a sponsorship program with tiered donation levels offering various recognition benefits, and recruits high school students for free membership with training across multiple technical and creative disciplines. Supporting offerings include a t-shirt cannon for promotional events and access to FIRST scholarships for team members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Robot Design, Building, and Programming Services Annual design, construction, and programming of competition robots for the FIRST Robotics Competition, where students build robots to complete specific tasks that change each year. The team also develops marketing strategies, fundraising plans, and community outreach programs alongside robot development.
STEM Education and Outreach Programs Community engagement programs promoting STEM education through demonstrations, workshops, and participation in local events. The team showcases robots and spreads the FIRST message at schools, community festivals, career days, and science nights throughout the San Gabriel Valley.
Sponsorship and Donation Program Structured donation tiers (Any Donation $25+, Bronze $100+, Silver $500+, Gold $1,500+, Platinum $5,000+) offering benefits including competition attendance, team decals, website recognition, logo placement, workshop tours, and robot demonstrations at sponsor events.
Student Recruitment and Membership Program Free membership program for 9th-12th grade students in the San Gabriel Valley, offering training in programming, engineering, electronics, photography, graphic design, and marketing with mentorship from industry professionals.
T-Shirt Cannon Demonstration A promotional robot used for community demonstrations and outreach events to engage audiences and spread awareness of FIRST robotics programs.

Companies that use FIRST Robotics Team 2404

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, moderate and minor.

Team 980 (Sister Team)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Sister FIRST Robotics team that provides mentorship support. Mentors Robin and Andrew from Team 980 stepped in to help Team 2404 at the 2026 State Championship.
Team 6995 - NOMAD Robotics (Escondido, CA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Alliance partner at the Glendale District Event, forming one of the three-team alliances that competed together and won the event.
Team 7415 - Jaguar Robotics (West Hills, CA)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Alliance partner at the Glendale District Event, forming one of the three-team alliances that competed together and won the event.
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor providing mentorship through Jake Lee and other JPL professionals. JPL is described as one of the team's major sponsors, providing technical expertise and real-world engineering guidance.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor providing mentorship through Emily Fourney from Caltech's Control and Dynamical Systems program. Students tour facilities and receive guidance from Caltech affiliates.
Pasadena Parks and RecreationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partner supporting team operations and community engagement in Pasadena.
City of PasadenamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner supporting team activities and STEM education initiatives.
LittleMachineShopmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTool and equipment supplier sponsor providing machining tools and supplies for robot construction.
BAE SystemsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor defense contractor sponsoring team equipment and competition costs.
NovelismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAluminum supplier and manufacturer sponsoring team materials.
Ball CorporationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManufacturing sponsor supporting team operations.
Neighbors Empowering Youth (NEY)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that houses Team 2404. Founded by John Smith, who also serves as team director and mentor. Tax ID 95-4796093.
LA PropointmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign/fabrication company providing mentorship through Brian Jaecker-Jones, a senior design engineer specializing in entertainment industry fabrication.
Better for AllminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPasadena startup co-founded by Raegan Kelly, providing business team mentorship since 2024.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

FIRST Robotics Team 980 (Bombardiers): Sister FIRST Robotics Competition team that actively mentors Team 2404, including providing support at the 2026 State Championship. Directly comparable as a SoCal FRC team with a similar volunteer-driven, sponsor-funded model.
FIRST Robotics Team 6995 (NOMAD Robotics): Escondido, CA-based FRC team that allied with Team 2404 to win the 2026 Glendale District Event. Directly comparable as a Southern California high school FRC team competing in the same district and state championship structure.
FIRST Robotics Team 7415 (Jaguar Robotics): West Hills, CA-based FRC team that allied with Team 2404 to win the 2026 Glendale District Event. Comparable as a Southern California FRC team with similar sponsorship- and volunteer-driven operations.
FIRST Robotics Team 1678 (Citrus Circuits): Top-tier California FRC team from Davis, repeatedly ranked among the world's best. Highly comparable as a California FRC team operating under the same competition rules and corporate sponsorship ecosystem, and serves as an aspirational benchmark.
FIRST Robotics Team 254 (Cheesy Poofs): Legendary San Jose-based FRC team and perennial world championship contender. Comparable as a California FRC team with a similar nonprofit/sponsorship-funded model and a mentor pipeline anchored by major tech employers.
FIRST Robotics Team 1114 (Simbotics): Top-ranked Canadian FRC team from St. Catharines, Ontario, repeatedly competitive at the FRC World Championship. Comparable as a high-performing FRC team with a sophisticated engineering mentor pipeline from industry.

Broad incumbents

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): The parent nonprofit organization that operates the FIRST Robotics Competition in which Team 2404 competes. Comparable as the umbrella organization governing the team's competition format, rules, scholarships, and broader brand ecosystem.
Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation: Operator of the VEX Robotics Competition, the principal alternative youth robotics competition platform to FRC. Comparable as a broader-incumbent nonprofit running a parallel team-based robotics competition program serving similar high school student populations.

Others

Code.org: Major nonprofit promoting K–12 computer science education. Comparable as a youth-focused STEM education nonprofit funded by corporate and foundation sponsorships with a mission of broadening access to technical careers.
Girls Who Code: Nonprofit running after-school and summer programs to close the gender gap in tech. Comparable as a youth STEM education nonprofit funded by corporate partnerships and grants, operating in similar community-outreach channels.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about FIRST Robotics Team 2404

What does FIRST Robotics Team 2404 do?

Is FIRST Robotics Team 2404 a public or private company?

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was FIRST Robotics Team 2404 founded?

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is FIRST Robotics Team 2404 based?

FIRST Robotics Team 2404 is headquartered in Altadena, United States, in the North America region.

How does FIRST Robotics Team 2404 make money?

One revenue line is on record: donations and Sponsorships.

Who are FIRST Robotics Team 2404's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are FIRST Robotics Team 980 (Bombardiers), FIRST Robotics Team 6995 (NOMAD Robotics), FIRST Robotics Team 7415 (Jaguar Robotics), FIRST Robotics Team 1678 (Citrus Circuits), FIRST Robotics Team 254 (Cheesy Poofs) and FIRST Robotics Team 1114 (Simbotics). Broad incumbents are FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation. Others are Code.org and Girls Who Code.

Does FIRST Robotics Team 2404 have an API?

No public API is recorded for FIRST Robotics Team 2404.

What industry is FIRST Robotics Team 2404 in?

FIRST Robotics Team 2404's product category is Youth STEM Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAE, Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX), with a secondary code of EDAJAJAD, Competitive Activities (Debate, Mock Trial, Academic Team, Robotics).