Cornell Cup Robotics
Cornell Cup Robotics is a student-led Cornell University project team of 70+ members that designs and builds robotics and embedded systems — including the XRP educational platform, C1C0 AI-enabled lab assistant, and spaceXRP Astrobee recreation — funded by corporate sponsorships rather than commercial sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersIthaca, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cornell Cup Robotics does
Cornell Cup Robotics is a student-led project team and registered student organization at Cornell University, founded in 2010 and based in Ithaca, NY. The team comprises 70+ undergraduate and graduate students from diverse disciplines and designs, builds, and publicly demonstrates robotics and embedded systems. Its core product portfolio consists of three platforms: XRP (eXperiential Robotics Platform), a fully 3D-printed, modular educational robot centered on the XRP chip with open-source CAD models and curriculum guides; C1C0, a semi-autonomous lab assistant integrating facial recognition, speech processing, sentiment analysis, and object detection with a 25-pound-force precision arm; and spaceXRP, a recreation of NASA's free-flying Astrobee using the XRP chip for free-flying navigation and stabilization.
The organization does not sell products commercially. Its operating model is funded through corporate sponsorships, industry partnerships, and donations from a roster that includes Intel, NASA, ARM, Autodesk, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin, Raspberry Pi, DigiKey, Sparkfun, STMicroelectronics, NAVSEA, and DEKA, alongside institutional support from Cornell Systems Engineering and outreach partners including FIRST, 4-H, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and the Cornell Einhorn Center. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led: the team showcases projects at venues such as NASA's Kennedy Space Center, the National Maker Faire, Walt Disney World, and the Embedded Research and Education Summit, and recruits members through on-campus information sessions open to all Cornell majors regardless of prior robotics experience.
Cornell Cup Robotics has earned national recognition, including consecutive features in the White House Fact Sheet on Making in 2015 and 2016, and maintains an open-source distribution channel for XRP aimed at educators and hobbyists globally. Its primary 'customers' in a functional sense are Cornell students (hands-on engineering experience) and corporate sponsors (visibility, talent pipeline, and association with cutting-edge student innovation), rather than paying commercial buyers.
Cornell Cup Robotics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cornell Cup Robotics
- Legal name
- Cornell Cup Robotics
- Website
- https://cornellcuprobotics.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Cornell Cup Robotics is a student-led Cornell University project team of 70+ members that designs and builds robotics and embedded systems — including the XRP educational platform, C1C0 AI-enabled lab assistant, and spaceXRP Astrobee recreation — funded by corporate sponsorships rather than commercial sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cornell Cup Robotics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Educational Robotics
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Robotics Learning Platforms (EDAFANAB)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused) (EDAMADAN), AI/ML Learning Platforms for Students (EDAFANAE)
Keywords
Where Cornell Cup Robotics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ithaca
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cornell Cup Robotics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Sponsorship and Donations: Cornell Cup Robotics operates as a student organization funded through corporate sponsorships, industry partnerships, and donations. The team has support from major technology companies including Intel, NASA, ARM, Autodesk, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Blue Origin, and others.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Cornell Cup Robotics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cornell Cup Robotics is a student-led project team at Cornell University that designs and builds innovative robotics and embedded systems. It develops three core robot platforms — XRP, a 3D-printable educational robot; C1C0, a semi-autonomous lab assistant; and spaceXRP, a NASA Astrobee-inspired free-flying robot — alongside open-source CAD models, software, and curriculum guides for STEM learning. The team delivers hands-on engineering experience to 70+ students and showcases work at national tech events.
Product overview
Cornell Cup Robotics is a student-led project team that develops robotics and embedded systems for educational and research purposes. Their product portfolio consists of three robot platforms: XRP (eXperiential Robotics Platform) — a modular, 3D-printed educational robot for hands-on STEM learning; C1C0 — a semi-autonomous lab assistant featuring facial recognition, speech processing, and manipulation capabilities; and spaceXRP — a NASA Astrobee-inspired free-flying robot platform for space robotics research and education. Together, these products serve students, educators, and researchers seeking hands-on robotics experience.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- XRP (eXperiential Robotics Platform) A fully 3D-printed educational robot centered on the XRP chip, designed as a hands-on STEM learning platform with modular architecture, snap-in joints, swappable sensors, and an open-source ecosystem of CAD models and curriculum guides. It is built for students, educators, and hobbyists who want to learn robotics through assembling, programming, and experimenting with a real robotic system.
- C1C0 A semi-autonomous lab assistant robot featuring facial recognition, speech processing, sentiment analysis, a precision arm with 25 pounds of force, object detection, and computer vision for navigation and grasping. It is designed to interact with users in a lab or event setting, and is used for demonstrations and human-robot interaction research.
- spaceXRP A recreation of NASA's free-flying Astrobee robot, built around the XRP chip for real-time command execution. It uses thrust vectors and stabilization algorithms to simulate zero-gravity free-flying navigation, serving as a research and educational platform for space robotics.
Quantifiable outcome
- National recognition with White House Fact Sheet features in 2015 and 2016
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Cornell Cup Robotics
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Cornell Cup Robotics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability5 records
Feature3 records
Cornell Cup Robotics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.
- NASAcoreNASA is a key partner that has invited Cornell Cup Robotics to present at Kennedy Space Center and provided inspiration for space robotics projects like spaceXRP (based on NASA's Astrobee ISS robot).
- ARMcoreARM provides technology support and embedded systems expertise for Cornell Cup Robotics projects.
- Cornell Systems EngineeringcorePrimary institutional partner that has supported Cornell Cup Robotics from the very beginning, providing academic framework and resources.
- AutodesksupportingSponsor providing design software and tools for robotics development.
- MITsupportingEducational institution partner supporting robotics innovation.
- Raspberry PisupportingTechnology sponsor providing single-board computers for robotics projects.
- DigiKeysupportingElectronic components distributor providing parts and components.
- SparkfunsupportingElectronics components company providing sensors and development tools.
- STMicroelectronicssupportingSemiconductor company providing microcontrollers and components.
- FIRSTsupportingRobotics education organization supporting STEM learning through robotics competitions.
- 4-HsupportingYouth development organization focused on STEM education and robotics.
- Cornell Cooperative ExtensionsupportingCornell University extension program supporting educational outreach.
- Cornell Einhorn CentersupportingCornell University center supporting community engagement and projects.
- 3D PrintingNerdminorYouTube content creator and 3D printing influencer supporting the team.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cornell Cup Robotics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Sphero: Sphero makes programmable educational robots (BOLT, RVR, indi) used in K-12 STEM classrooms. It overlaps directly with XRP in the STEM robotics learning category but with a polished consumer-product go-to-market.
- Wonder Workshop: Wonder Workshop produces Dash, Dot, and Cue — K-12 educational robots emphasizing coding and robotics literacy. Like XRP, the company's products target hands-on STEM learning experiences for students.
Broad incumbents
- LEGO Education: LEGO Education delivers K-12 STEM learning platforms including SPIKE Prime and WeDo robotics kits. Like Cornell Cup Robotics, it focuses on hands-on robotics for STEM learning but operates at massive commercial scale with global classroom distribution.
- FIRST Robotics: FIRST runs the largest K-12 STEM robotics competition ecosystem in the US and is an existing partner of Cornell Cup Robotics. Both organizations share the mission of building hands-on robotics experience and STEM pathways, with FIRST operating at much broader scale across schools nationwide.
Direct peers
- Raspberry Pi Foundation: Raspberry Pi Foundation produces low-cost single-board computers and STEM education curricula, and is an existing sponsor/partner of Cornell Cup Robotics. Both share the mission of democratizing hands-on computing and robotics education through affordable, open platforms.
- VEX Robotics: VEX (by Innovation First International) produces modular educational robotics kits and the VEX IQ / V5 competition platforms used in schools and competitions globally. XRP competes in the same educational-robotics-platform category, though VEX is a commercial product while XRP is open-source.
- Arduino: Arduino provides open-source microcontroller hardware and software used widely in educational robotics and maker projects. XRP relies on a similar low-cost, accessible embedded-platform philosophy, and Arduino is a natural comparable in the maker/STEM education ecosystem.
- Carnegie Mellon Robotics Club: Carnegie Mellon's student robotics organizations (including teams competing in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge and RoboCup) are the closest peer in form — a multi-disciplinary university student team building advanced robotics systems with industry sponsorships.
- MIT Beaver Works: MIT Beaver Works is an MIT-affiliated program running student-led autonomy and robotics capstone projects in collaboration with Lincoln Laboratory. It is comparable as a university-affiliated student robotics initiative operating at the intersection of applied research and STEM education.
Others
- SparkFun Electronics: SparkFun is a retail provider of open-source electronics components, sensors, and educational kits used by makers and STEM learners. As a listed partner of Cornell Cup Robotics, it is an ecosystem enabler for the same DIY robotics community.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cornell Cup Robotics social profiles
Digital presenceCornell Cup Robotics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cornell Cup Robotics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Cornell Cup Robotics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Cornell Cup Robotics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about Cornell Cup Robotics
What does Cornell Cup Robotics do?
Cornell Cup Robotics is a student-led project team at Cornell University that designs and builds innovative robotics and embedded systems. It develops three core robot platforms — XRP, a 3D-printable educational robot; C1C0, a semi-autonomous lab assistant; and spaceXRP, a NASA Astrobee-inspired free-flying robot — alongside open-source CAD models, software, and curriculum guides for STEM learning. The team delivers hands-on engineering experience to 70+ students and showcases work at national tech events.
Is Cornell Cup Robotics a public or private company?
Cornell Cup Robotics is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cornell Cup Robotics founded?
Cornell Cup Robotics was founded in 2010. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Cornell Cup Robotics based?
Cornell Cup Robotics is headquartered in Ithaca, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cornell Cup Robotics make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship and Donations.
Who are Cornell Cup Robotics's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Sphero and Wonder Workshop. Broad incumbents are LEGO Education and FIRST Robotics. Direct peers are Raspberry Pi Foundation, VEX Robotics, Arduino, Carnegie Mellon Robotics Club and MIT Beaver Works. SparkFun Electronics is listed as an others.
Does Cornell Cup Robotics have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cornell Cup Robotics.
What industry is Cornell Cup Robotics in?
Cornell Cup Robotics's product category is Educational Robotics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFANAB, Robotics Learning Platforms, with a secondary code of EDAMADAN, Robotics Kits, Parts & Lab Equipment Providers (Education-Focused). Its NAICS code is 611710.