FIRST Indiana Robotics
FIRST Indiana Robotics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers FIRST's PreK-12 team robotics programs — Discover, Explore, Challenge, Tech Challenge, and Robotics Competition — to 350+ teams and 3,200+ students across Indiana through school and community partnerships, supported by event fees, donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersIndianapolis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What FIRST Indiana Robotics does
FIRST Indiana Robotics (operating as FIN) is the official 501(c)(3) program delivery organization for the global FIRST network in Indiana, headquartered in Indianapolis. It delivers an age-tiered suite of team-based robotics programs spanning PreK through Grade 12, including FIRST LEGO League Discover (ages 4-6), Explore (ages 6-10), Challenge (ages 9-16), FIRST Tech Challenge (grades 7-12, using Java-programmed reusable robot kits), and FIRST Robotics Competition (grades 9-12, building industrial-sized robots). Programs run in school and after-school settings via district and community-organization partnerships, and culminate in a hierarchy of qualifying tournaments, semi-state championships, and state championships.
The organization serves more than 350 registered teams and approximately 3,200 students across Indiana. It is staffed by a small executive team (Executive Director plus Directors of Programs and Operations, Volunteer Coordinator, and Business Operations Coordinator) and relies heavily on a volunteer mentor network, including former participants who return as coaches, judges, and team mentors. The board includes representation from corporate sponsors (Toyota, AndyMark) and industry professionals across STEM sectors.
Revenue is assembled from five primary streams: per-event team registration fees ($100-$125 for FLL events; $300-$375 for FTC tournament packages), individual donations through an Annual Fund, corporate team and event sponsorships, foundation grants (notably the $373,900 Lilly Endowment Inc. capacity-building grant awarded in 2025), and public-sector appropriations (the $3.5M Indiana General Assembly K-12 robotics grant renewal). Participants gain eligibility to apply for $80M+ in college scholarships and are tracked under documented longitudinal outcomes — including participants being 2-3x more likely to show STEM outcome gains, 87% expressing college intent, and 100% demonstrating increased teamwork skills.
FIRST Indiana Robotics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FIRST Indiana Robotics
- Legal name
- FIRST Indiana Robotics
- Website
- https://firstindianarobotics.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- FIRST Indiana Robotics is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers FIRST's PreK-12 team robotics programs — Discover, Explore, Challenge, Tech Challenge, and Robotics Competition — to 350+ teams and 3,200+ students across Indiana through school and community partnerships, supported by event fees, donations, grants, and corporate sponsorships.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FIRST Indiana Robotics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Youth Robotics STEM Education
- NAICS
- All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA), LEGO / Block-Based Robotics Programs (EDAMADAD)
Keywords
Where FIRST Indiana Robotics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Indianapolis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
FIRST Indiana Robotics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Event Registration Fees: Teams pay registration fees for qualifying tournaments, semi-state, and state championship events. FLL teams pay $100-$125 per event, FTC teams pay $300 for two qualifying tournaments plus optional $100 third play, and $275 for state championship if qualified.
- Individual Donations: Unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund allow flexibility to allocate funds where most needed, including regional events, teams, and operational expenses.
- Grants: Capacity building and program grants from foundations such as Lilly Endowment Inc. ($373,900 grant in 2025), corporate sponsors, and government entities including $3.5 million in statewide K-12 robotics grants from Indiana General Assembly.
- Corporate Sponsorships: Companies sponsor teams by providing funding, mentorship time and talent, equipment, and other supports. Event sponsors receive prominent visibility at competitions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per event | FLL Qualifying Tournament Entry |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per event | FLL Semi-State Tournament |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per event | FLL State Championship |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per event | FTC Qualifying Tournaments (2 events) |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Per event | FTC State Championship |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
FIRST Indiana Robotics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FIRST Indiana Robotics delivers a tiered suite of team-based youth robotics programs for ages 4-18 across Indiana, including FIRST LEGO League Discover, Explore, and Challenge, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition. Programs are facilitated in schools and after-school settings with volunteer mentors, follow FIRST Core Values, and culminate in qualifying tournaments, semi-state championships, and state championships. The nonprofit supports more than 300-350 teams representing over 3,200 students statewide.
Product overview
FIRST Indiana Robotics operates as a suite of inclusive, team-based robotics programs for ages 4-18 (PreK-12) that can be facilitated in school or structured after-school programs in Indiana. The organization serves as the local nonprofit FIRST program delivery organization for Indiana, delivering five distinct program tiers: FIRST LEGO League Discover (ages 4-6, PreK-Grade 1 using LEGO DUPLO bricks), FIRST LEGO League Explore (ages 6-10, Grades 1-3 using LEGO Education WeDo 2.0), FIRST LEGO League Challenge (ages 9-16, Grades 4-8 with LEGO robotics), FIRST Tech Challenge (Grades 7-12 with Java-programmed robots), and FIRST Robotics Competition (Grades 9-12 with industrial-sized robots). Each program tier follows FIRST Core Values, provides mentorship, and culminates in competitive events. The organization supports over 350 teams representing more than 3,200 students across Indiana.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- FIRST LEGO League Discover
- FIRST LEGO League Explore
- FIRST LEGO League Challenge
- FIRST Tech Challenge
- FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC)
Quantifiable outcome
- Participants are 2-3x more likely to have gains in STEM outcomes than peers not in FIRST programs
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use FIRST Indiana Robotics
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
FIRST Indiana Robotics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
FIRST Indiana Robotics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- AndyMark, Inc.coreLocal robotics parts supplier founded in 2004 to provide robotics parts for educational robotics, primarily FRC teams. Provides FRC Practice Field availability and FIRST Choice kit distribution. Mary Baker, Director of Customer Service & Marketing at AndyMark, serves on the Board of Directors.
- FIRST InspirescoreInternational not-for-profit organization that is the parent of the FIRST program. Provides global support system of volunteers, educators, and sponsors including over 200 Fortune 500 companies. FIRST Indiana Robotics serves as the official program delivery organization for Indiana.
- Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologymajorIndiana-based university providing FIRST scholarships and hosting FRC events at their campus. Host venue for Area 5188 robotics team.
- Red AllianceminorOrganization dedicated to helping FRC teams by providing new or slightly used components, tools, and essential items free of charge. Teams only cover shipping costs.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
FIRST Indiana Robotics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Code.org: National nonprofit promoting K-12 computer science education with broad corporate and foundation sponsorship. Comparable as a larger, broader K-12 STEM/CS education provider that competes for school district curricular time and sponsor funding.
- Project Lead the Way (PLTW): Provides K-12 STEM curriculum (including computer science and engineering pathways) adopted by thousands of U.S. schools. Comparable as a school-district-facing STEM curriculum provider competing for curricular integration and sponsor support.
- FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): The international parent nonprofit of FIRST Indiana Robotics. Operates the global FIRST program portfolio (FLL, FTC, FRC) backed by 200+ Fortune 500 sponsors; comparable as the umbrella brand and curriculum/certification authority for Indiana's local delivery organization.
- LEGO Education: Provides the LEGO Education hardware and curriculum (SPIKE Prime, WeDo, DUPLO) that FIRST Indiana Robotics deploys across its FLL Discover/Explore/Challenge programs. Comparable as the underlying technology supplier and direct competitor in school STEM curriculum sales.
Emerging players
- MATE ROV Competition: Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center runs an underwater remotely operated vehicle competition for K-12 and college students. Comparable as a STEM competition pathway with sponsor-driven delivery model competing for similar participant pools.
- Botball (KIPR): Operates Botball, a middle/high-school robotics competition with autonomous robot challenges. Comparable as an alternative K-12 competition robotics platform competing for school partners, students, and sponsor dollars.
Direct peers
- VEX Robotics (VEX Robotics / REC Foundation): Operates VEX IQ, VEX V5, and VEX U competition programs that directly compete with FIRST's FLL, FTC, and FRC for school partnerships, student teams, and corporate sponsorships. Highly comparable as the leading alternative competitive robotics platform in K-12.
- FIRST California: The FIRST Program Delivery Organization for California. Directly comparable peer to FIRST Indiana Robotics in operating model, team count, sponsor mix, and statewide event structure — useful for benchmarking scale and growth.
- FIRST in Texas: Another state-level FIRST Program Delivery Organization serving Texas. Directly comparable in structure, mission, and operating model — peer for benchmarking team growth, event infrastructure, and sponsor development strategies.
- AndyMark, Inc. Indiana-based robotics parts supplier and FIRST Premier Partner that distributes FRC Practice Fields and FIRST Choice kits. Operates within the same FIRST ecosystem with overlapping customer base (FRC teams) and is represented on FIRST Indiana Robotics' Board of Directors.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
FIRST Indiana Robotics social profiles
Digital presenceFIRST Indiana Robotics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FIRST Indiana Robotics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
FIRST Indiana Robotics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FIRST Indiana Robotics 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 FIRST Indiana Robotics
What does FIRST Indiana Robotics do?
FIRST Indiana Robotics delivers a tiered suite of team-based youth robotics programs for ages 4-18 across Indiana, including FIRST LEGO League Discover, Explore, and Challenge, FIRST Tech Challenge, and FIRST Robotics Competition. Programs are facilitated in schools and after-school settings with volunteer mentors, follow FIRST Core Values, and culminate in qualifying tournaments, semi-state championships, and state championships. The nonprofit supports more than 300-350 teams representing over 3,200 students statewide.
Is FIRST Indiana Robotics a public or private company?
FIRST Indiana Robotics is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FIRST Indiana Robotics founded?
FIRST Indiana Robotics was founded in 1989. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FIRST Indiana Robotics based?
FIRST Indiana Robotics is headquartered in Indianapolis, United States, in the North America region.
How does FIRST Indiana Robotics make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Event Registration Fees are the primary driver. The others are individual Donations, grants and corporate Sponsorships.
Who are FIRST Indiana Robotics's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Code.org, Project Lead the Way (PLTW), FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) and LEGO Education. Emerging players are MATE ROV Competition and Botball (KIPR). Direct peers are VEX Robotics (VEX Robotics / REC Foundation), FIRST California, FIRST in Texas and AndyMark, Inc..
Does FIRST Indiana Robotics have an API?
No public API is recorded for FIRST Indiana Robotics.
What industry is FIRST Indiana Robotics in?
FIRST Indiana Robotics's product category is Youth Robotics STEM Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMADAE, Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX), with a secondary code of EDAMADAA, Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs. Its NAICS code is 61169 and its SIC code is 8200.