Delft Hyperloop
Delft Hyperloop is a non-profit student Dream Team from TU Delft that designs, builds, and competes with hyperloop pod prototypes. Across nine pod generations it has developed proprietary levitation, propulsion, and thermal management technologies, funded by 60+ corporate and institutional partners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersDelft, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Delft Hyperloop does
Delft Hyperloop is a non-profit student engineering organization ("Dream Team") operating under Delft University of Technology in Delft, Netherlands. Since its founding in 2016, the team has produced nine generations of hyperloop pod prototypes (DH01 through DH09/THEIA), competing first in the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competitions (winning 1st place in 2017 out of 2,000 teams, 2nd in 2018, 4th in the final 2019 edition) and subsequently at the European Hyperloop Week, where it has accumulated 13+ category awards across 2021-2024. Its core technology spans magnetic levitation (Hybrid Electromagnetic Suspension and hanging levitation systems), propulsion (a novel Linear Flux Switching Permanent Magnet motor introduced in DH07 and a double-sided P8S24 linear synchronous reluctance motor in DH09), custom in-house motor drives, evaporative water-based thermal management, custom PCB-based control electronics, and a world-first scalable lane-switch track system delivered in DH08.
The organization does not generate commercial revenue and is funded exclusively through a partnership ecosystem of 60+ companies and institutions including Siemens, Beckhoff, Shell, Rijkswaterstaat, Wolfspeed, Texas Instruments, STMicroelectronics, and the European Hyperloop Center. Its go-to-market is community-led (annual student recruitment from TU Delft) combined with event-driven activities (European Hyperloop Week, Design Reveals, Demonstration Days, and a mobile "Delft Hyperloop Experience" exhibit deployed at venues such as Rotterdam Central Station and Forum Groningen). Its primary "customer-facing" revenue-adjacent channels are quote-based corporate visits to its Dream Hall facility at TU Delft and customizable mobile showcase engagements.
The team's stated mission is to advance hyperloop as a sustainable, climate-neutral fifth mode of transportation capable of speeds exceeding 1,000 km/h. Current technical milestones include a 360 km/h record in open air (DH04), full contactless levitation at under 0.5W/kg, motor efficiency above 80%, and 0.1mm localization precision. DH09 (THEIA) represents a threefold scale-up designed to operate on the 420m European Hyperloop Center test track in Veendam, with DH11 (2025-2026 cycle) targeting competition at EHW 2027, supported by a newly formalized Thermal Department.
Delft Hyperloop firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Delft Hyperloop
- Legal name
- Delft Hyperloop
- Website
- https://delfthyperloop.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Delft Hyperloop is a non-profit student Dream Team from TU Delft that designs, builds, and competes with hyperloop pod prototypes. Across nine pod generations it has developed proprietary levitation, propulsion, and thermal management technologies, funded by 60+ corporate and institutional partners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Delft Hyperloop is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Delft
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Delft Hyperloop business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Non-profit Student Organization: Delft Hyperloop is structured as a 'Dream team' from TU Delft - a non-profit organization that exists to stimulate innovations. The team does not generate commercial revenue but operates through partnerships and sponsorships to fund pod development.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels10 records
Delft Hyperloop product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Delft Hyperloop is a non-profit student team from Delft University of Technology that designs, builds, and demonstrates hyperloop pod prototypes. Across nine generational pod iterations (DH01–DH09), the team develops magnetic levitation, linear propulsion, thermal management, and embedded control technologies to compete at events such as the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition and the European Hyperloop Week. The team also produces scalability research publications, design visualizations, and a mobile public showcase (Delft Hyperloop Experience).
Product overview
Delft Hyperloop is a multi-disciplinary student team from Delft University of Technology developing hyperloop pod prototypes for competition at the European Hyperloop Week. The portfolio consists of core hyperloop pod products (THEIA, HELIOS III, HELIOS II, HELIOS I, DH05, ATLAS 04, ATLAS 02, ATLAS 01, and DH01) representing nine generations of pod development since 2017. Each pod iteration builds upon previous innovations including magnetic levitation systems (HEMS, EMS), linear motors (LFSPM, LSM, P8S24), custom motor drives, thermal management, and lane-switch capabilities. Supporting services include the Delft Hyperloop Experience (mobile showcase), Scalability Research papers, and Design Projects (stations, interiors, VR experiences).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DH01 Hyperloop Pod (2017) Inaugural hyperloop pod prototype (2017) featuring a unique design and levitation mechanism; winner of the first SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition out of 2,000 competing teams.
- ATLAS 01 / DH02 Hyperloop Pod (2018) 2018 hyperloop pod prototype that finished second in the third SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition, reaching 142 km/h before an overheating issue.
- ATLAS 02 / DH03 Hyperloop Pod (2019) 2019 hyperloop pod achieving top speed of over 200 km/h in less than 100 meters, finishing fourth in the final SpaceX competition in Los Angeles.
- ATLAS 04 / DH04 Hyperloop Pod (2020) 2020 hyperloop pod that set a record of 360 km/h in open air within 300 meters in the Netherlands; the SpaceX competition was cancelled due to COVID-19.
- DH05 Hyperloop Pod (2021) 2021 hyperloop pod featuring a Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM) propulsion system with focus on scalability; won the Mechanical Award and Scalability Award at the first European Hyperloop Week in Valencia.
- HELIOS I / DH06 Hyperloop Pod (2022) 2022 hyperloop pod prototype and the first team to create a hanging levitation system; won the Complete Pod Design Award and Innovation Award at European Hyperloop Week.
- HELIOS II / DH07 Hyperloop Pod (2023) 2023 hyperloop pod featuring the world's first Linear Flux Switching Permanent Magnet (LFSPM) Motor, achieving full levitation at less than 0.5W/kg; won Innovation, Mechanical, Technical Full-scale, and Social Economic Full-scale awards at EHW Edinburgh.
- HELIOS III / DH08 Hyperloop Pod (2024) 2024 hyperloop pod prototype, world-first to achieve a full scalable lane switch, featuring custom motor drives and a water-based evaporative cooling thermal management system; won Infrastructure, Technical Scalability, and Thermal Management awards at EHW Zurich.
- THEIA / DH09 Hyperloop Pod (2025) 2025 hyperloop pod prototype with a threefold scale-up in size, custom-built motor drives, a new double-sided P8S24 linear synchronous reluctance motor, and full vacuum compatibility; designed to compete at European Hyperloop Week 2025 on the 420-meter European Hyperloop Center test track.
- Delft Hyperloop Experience (Mobile Showcase) Dynamic, mobile showcase of Delft Hyperloop's hyperloop innovations and prototypes that explains the hyperloop concept with customizable content and flexible presentation formats; featured at public venues such as Rotterdam Central Station and Forum Groningen.
- Scalability Research Research output from Delft Hyperloop's research department covering technical and socio-economic challenges of implementing a full-scale hyperloop system, including scalability papers published at hyperloopconnected.org.
- Design Projects Visualization and design work exploring a fully implemented hyperloop system, including hyperloop stations, interiors, animations, VR experiences, models, and videos.
Quantifiable outcome
- Pod speeds over 1000 km/h theoretically achievable
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Delft Hyperloop
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Delft Hyperloop technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature8 records
Delft Hyperloop partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- TU DelftcoreHome university providing institutional support, facilities (Dream Hall), and student talent pipeline from one of the world's leading technical universities.
- SiemensmajorTechnology partner providing expertise and components for automation and control systems.
- BeckhoffmajorIndustrial automation technology partner supplying PC-based control systems.
- RijkswaterstaatmajorDutch government agency for infrastructure providing strategic partnership for hyperloop infrastructure development.
- Bakker MagneticsmajorMagnetic components supplier for levitation and propulsion systems.
- Althen SensorsmajorSensor technology supplier for control and localization systems.
- WolfspeedmajorSemiconductor partner providing power electronics components for motor drives.
- AltiummajorPCB design software provider for custom electronics development.
- Phoenix ContactmajorIndustrial connection technology for electrical systems and automation.
- Analog DevicesmajorSemiconductor partner providing signal processing and power management ICs.
- Texas InstrumentsmajorSemiconductor partner for embedded systems and power electronics.
- TE ConnectivitymajorConnectivity solutions provider for electrical systems.
- STMicroelectronicsmajorMicrocontroller provider for control systems (STM32).
- European Hyperloop CentercoreNon-profit organization in Veendam, Netherlands dedicated to accelerating hyperloop development with state-of-the-art test track in Groningen. DH09 will test THEIA pod on 420-meter test track at EHC.
- European Hyperloop WeekcoreAnnual hyperloop competition event where Delft Hyperloop competes and helps organize. DH11 aiming to compete at EHW 2027.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Delft Hyperloop competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nevomo (formerly Hyper Poland): Polish company developing magrail technology that combines hyperloop concepts with existing rail infrastructure. Operates in adjacent high-speed transportation R&D space with overlapping propulsion and levitation technology.
- Zeleros: Spanish European hyperloop company working on scalable high-speed transport technology. Comparable in its focus on developing levitation and propulsion systems for full-scale hyperloop deployment.
- TUM Hyperloop: Student engineering team from Technical University of Munich that develops hyperloop pods and competes at European Hyperloop Week. Direct peer with similar student-team structure.
- SwissLoop: SwissLoop is a student engineering team at ETH Zurich developing hyperloop pods, regularly competing against Delft Hyperloop at European Hyperloop Week. Most direct peer in structure, mission, and competition format.
- Hyperloop UPV: Student team from Universitat Politècnica de València that hosted the inaugural European Hyperloop Week in 2021. Direct peer as a competing university hyperloop team.
- Hardt Hyperloop: Hardt is a Dutch company developing hyperloop technology, originating from TU Delft's hyperloop research. It is the most direct commercial peer, working on EU hyperloop infrastructure with similar technical focus on levitation and propulsion.
Others
- European Hyperloop Center: Dutch non-profit organization operating the 420m hyperloop test track in Veendam, Groningen where Delft Hyperloop's DH09 (THEIA) is set to test. Closely aligned ecosystem partner and infrastructure provider.
Emerging players
- TransPod: Canadian company developing ultra-high-speed transportation systems with similar magnetic levitation and vacuum-tube concepts. Comparable as a commercial hyperloop R&D venture but focused on the Canadian market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Delft Hyperloop social profiles
Digital presenceDelft Hyperloop financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Delft Hyperloop leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Delft Hyperloop funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Delft Hyperloop 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 Delft Hyperloop
What does Delft Hyperloop do?
Delft Hyperloop is a non-profit student team from Delft University of Technology that designs, builds, and demonstrates hyperloop pod prototypes. Across nine generational pod iterations (DH01–DH09), the team develops magnetic levitation, linear propulsion, thermal management, and embedded control technologies to compete at events such as the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition and the European Hyperloop Week. The team also produces scalability research publications, design visualizations, and a mobile public showcase (Delft Hyperloop Experience).
Is Delft Hyperloop a public or private company?
Delft Hyperloop is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Delft Hyperloop founded?
Delft Hyperloop was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Delft Hyperloop based?
Delft Hyperloop is headquartered in Delft, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Delft Hyperloop make money?
One revenue line is on record: non-profit Student Organization.
Who are Delft Hyperloop's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nevomo (formerly Hyper Poland), Zeleros, TUM Hyperloop, SwissLoop, Hyperloop UPV and Hardt Hyperloop. European Hyperloop Center is listed as an others. TransPod is listed as an emerging player.
Does Delft Hyperloop have an API?
No public API is recorded for Delft Hyperloop.