Prometheus Eco Racing

What Prometheus Eco Racing does

Prometheus Eco Racing is the energy-efficiency racing team of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Founded in 2008 within the Laboratory of Electrical Machines and Power Electronics under Professor A.G. Kladas, the team comprises undergraduate and doctoral students who design, build, and operate high-efficiency electric vehicles for the Shell Eco Marathon international competition. Over three vehicle generations (Pyrforos I, hydrogen-powered prototype, 2008-2013; Pyrforos II, battery-electric prototype, 2014-2022; and Pyrforos III, battery-electric urban concept, 2021-present), the team has developed the entire drivetrain in-house, including a custom three-phase surface permanent magnet synchronous motor, a 13-cell 48V lithium-ion battery pack with battery management system, custom PCBs for CAN-bus, telemetry, sensor and steering functions, and a lightweight carbon fiber body shell. Technical performance includes energy-efficiency results of approximately 487 km/kWh and demonstrated capability to travel 1,000 km for under 30 euro cents in the team's prototype.

The team's business model is sponsorship- and partnership-funded rather than commercial. There is no product pricing or service revenue; operations are supported by corporate sponsors (e.g., Nissan, Raycap, Beta CAE, WinMedica, ICCS), institutional backing from NTUA, and co-development partnerships such as the seminars on electrification technologies jointly organized with Schneider Electric. Go-to-market activity centers on the annual Shell Eco Marathon, exhibitions (Eco Fest, Elec.Tec, IndustryTec, VERDE.TEC), workshops on embedded AI and predictive maintenance, and an active social media presence across Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. The stated customer segment is academic research and education: the team's primary "users" are NTUA students developing hands-on engineering capability, with secondary audiences including event attendees, sponsors, and competition judges. The team carries no external investors, no parent company, and no subsidiaries, and has been recognized with 10 Shell Eco Marathon awards across 15 years, including a Third place worldwide in the Autonomous Urban Concept category in 2025.

Name

Prometheus Eco Racing

Legal name

Prometheus Eco Racing

Website

https://prometheus.ntua.gr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prometheus Eco Racing is a volunteer student research team at NTUA's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering that designs and builds high-efficiency electric vehicles to compete in the Shell Eco Marathon, funded through sponsorships and institutional support rather than commercial sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Electric Vehicles

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Electrical and Electronic Equipment Manufacturing (336320)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsports Teams & Entrants (Factory & Independent) (MPAKAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Powersports Powertrain & Drivetrain Manufacturing (Engines/Transmissions/Final Drive) (IMACAEAJ), Powersports Body, Frame & Plastics Manufacturing (Frames/Fairings/Tanks) (IMACAEAM)

Keywords

• Electric vehicle design
• Energy efficiency racing
• Student engineering team
• Battery electric vehicles
• Urban concept vehicles

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorships and Partnerships: The team receives support from corporate sponsors who provide financial assistance, materials, equipment, and expertise in exchange for brand visibility and logo placement on vehicles and team materials

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Prometheus Eco Racing is the energy-efficiency racing team of NTUA's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, comprising undergraduate and doctoral students who design, build, and race custom electric vehicles in the annual Shell Eco Marathon international competition. The team has produced three vehicle generations (PYRFOROS I, II, III), combining academic research with hands-on engineering across battery systems, motor control, electronics, aerodynamics, and vehicle dynamics. Operations are funded through corporate sponsorships in exchange for brand visibility and recruitment access.

Product overview

Prometheus Eco Racing develops high-efficiency electric vehicles for the Shell Eco Marathon international fuel efficiency competition. The team has built three generations of vehicles: PYRFOROS I (hydrogen-powered prototype, 2008-2013), PYRFOROS II (battery electric prototype, 2014-2022), and PYRFOROS III (urban concept battery electric vehicle). All vehicles are entirely self-designed and self-built by undergraduate and doctoral students from NTUA's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Key subsystems include custom motor design (PMSM), lithium-ion battery packs with BMS, electronic control boards (CAN bus, telemetry, sensors), and carbon fiber shells. The team competes in the Prototype and Urban Concept categories of Shell Eco Marathon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PYRFOROS I The team's foundational prototype vehicle, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle that competed in the Prototype Hydrogen category of Shell Eco Marathon from 2008-2013, establishing the team's expertise in sustainable vehicle development.
• PYRFOROS II The team's second-generation battery electric prototype vehicle, operated from 2014 to 2022. Featured a transition from hydrogen to pure battery electric propulsion, custom lithium-ion battery systems with BMS, custom motor design, and advanced electronics including CAN bus, telemetry, and sensor subsystems.
• PYRFOROS III The team's current third-generation vehicle in the Urban Concept category of Shell Eco Marathon. Features a self-built carbon fiber shell, custom three-phase synchronous PMSM motor, 48V lithium-ion battery pack with BMS (13 cells, 192 Wh), and integrated electronic subsystems including a smart steering wheel with display, telemetry, and sensor boards. Achieved 17% weight reduction versus the prior year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 international competition awards over 15 years of participation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Institutional host and supporter. The team is affiliated with NTUA's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and operates within the Laboratory of Electrical Machines and Power Electronics under Professor Antonios Kladas.
• Schneider ElectriccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized the 1st and 2nd Seminar on Electrification Technologies and Applications with the team. Schneider Electric supports the team's educational initiatives in sustainable energy.
• KafkaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with the team to co-organize the 1st Seminar on Electrification Technologies and Applications at NTUA.
• Testing Research and Standards Center of Public Power Corporation (EDIP)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded the team for their work during the Elec.Tec 2020 exhibition organized by NTUA's School of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
• NTUA Laboratory of Electrical Machines and Power ElectronicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe academic laboratory that houses the team and provides research infrastructure, mentorship, and faculty support including Director Professor A.G. Kladas.
• EUROAVIA AthensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAerospace and aeronautical student association at NTUA. Cooperates with Prometheus on student engineering initiatives and knowledge exchange.
• Oceanos-NTUAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNTUA student team focused on maritime engineering projects. Cooperates on student engineering initiatives and expertise exchange.
• BEST AthensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBoard of European Students of Technology - NTUA chapter. Co-organizes engineering competitions like EBEC and supports student collaboration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AMZ (Akademische Motorsportgruppe Zürich): ETH Zurich student motorsport group that builds an electric race car for Formula Student and has competed in efficiency events. Direct peer — university EV engineering team with similar competition-driven development cycle and recruitment model.
• Eco-Runner Team Delft: TU Delft student team that has won multiple Shell Eco Marathon hydrogen and battery-electric categories. Direct peer — same competition, similar vehicle architecture, similar academic-team structure.
• GreenTeam Uni Stuttgart: University of Stuttgart student team that has won multiple Shell Eco Marathon titles with high-efficiency electric vehicles. Direct peer — same competition, comparable engineering depth, similar German/European university-team structure.
• TUfast (TU Munich): Technical University of Munich student racing team that has competed in Shell Eco Marathon and Formula Student. Direct peer — German university EV team with similar competition focus and engineering culture.
• Forze Hydrogen Racing: TU Delft student racing team that designs and builds hydrogen and electric racing vehicles for Shell Eco Marathon. Direct peer — same competition, same vehicle philosophy (efficiency-focused EV design), similar student-team operating model.

Others

• National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) Formula SAE teams: Other NTUA student engineering teams (e.g., Prometheus, Oceanos-NTUA, EUROAVIA Athens) collaborating via BEST Athens on engineering competitions. Adjacent peers — same institution, similar student-team operating model, knowledge exchange ecosystem.
• Arrival: Commercial electric vehicle OEM where Prometheus co-founder Manos Polioudis serves as Head of Powertrain Engineering. Not a direct competitor, but a relevant commercial destination for alumni and a signal of where the team's powertrain R&D skillset translates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/PrometheusEcoRacingNTUATeam
• Facebookfacebook.com/prometheus.ntua
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prometheus-eco-racing-ntua-team
• Instagraminstagram.com/prometheus_eco_racing_ntua

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Prometheus Eco Racing