HTW Berlin Motorsport

What HTW Berlin Motorsport does

HTW Berlin Motorsport was a university-affiliated Formula Student racing team that operated from 2006 to 2020 at HTW Berlin (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin) in Berlin, Germany. The team built combustion-engine Formula Student race cars annually, progressing from inline-four cylinder engine configurations in the early years to single-cylinder engines, and in 2018 developed the first driverless combustion-engine Formula Student car, a technical first within that competition category. The team was based at HTW Berlin's facilities, initially in Blankenburg and later at the Schöneweide campus, and drew on cohorts of up to 50 engineering students per season under the supervision of named professors (Lindemann, Hoppe, Rodewald, Stedtnitz).

The team's core product was its annual Formula Student competition vehicles, with technical work spanning engine design, vehicle dynamics, chassis engineering, and, from 2018, autonomous-driving systems for the driverless combustion platform. The team participated in Formula Student competitions as both a development framework and a visibility mechanism, accumulating trophies for HTW Berlin over its 14-year run.

HTW Berlin Motorsport was not a commercial enterprise: there was no revenue model, no pricing structure, no paying customers, and no funding rounds. The team was supported institutionally by HTW Berlin and materially by corporate sponsors, with the explicit purpose of providing hands-on engineering education and competition experience to students. The team officially ceased operations in 2020, and a separate successor organization, greenBEAR, was established in 2022 to continue the Formula Student program at HTW Berlin with an electric-vehicle focus.

Name

HTW Berlin Motorsport

Legal name

HTW Berlin Motorsport

Website

https://htw-motorsport.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Closed

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HTW Berlin Motorsport was a university Formula Student racing team at HTW Berlin (Germany) that operated from 2006 to 2020, building combustion-engine race cars including a 2018 driverless combustion vehicle, before ceasing operations and being succeeded by greenBEAR.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Motorsport Engineering

NAICS

Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing (33631)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMACAHAA

Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Manufacturing (Gasoline/Diesel)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Automotive & Mobility Manufacturing/Automotive Powertrain & Drivetrain Manufacturing (Engines/Transmissions/Axles)

SECONDARYMPAKAJAJ

Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Camps, Academies & Training Centers

Keywords

• Formula Student racing
• Student motorsport engineering
• Combustion race cars
• University racing team
• Driverless vehicle development

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Others

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

HTW Berlin Motorsport was a university student Formula Student racing team that designed, built, and raced combustion-engine race cars from 2006 to 2020. Over 14 years the team developed inline-four cylinder, single-cylinder, and (from 2018) the first driverless combustion-engine Formula Student race car, while providing up to 50 engineering students per season with hands-on motorsport engineering and competition experience.

Product overview

HTW Berlin Motorsport was a single-product Formula Student racing team offering. The team developed Formula Student racing cars annually from 2006 to 2020, building combustion-engine vehicles in various configurations (inline-four cylinder, single cylinder, and from 2018 the first driverless combustion racing car). The team operated for 14 years with up to fifty students per season and ceased operations in 2020, with the successor team greenBEAR continuing with electric racing cars since 2022.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formula Student Racing Cars (2006-2020) Combustion-engine Formula Student competition vehicles built by HTW Berlin engineering students, including inline-four cylinder, single-cylinder, and driverless configurations. Used for participation in Formula Student competitions and as a hands-on engineering education platform for students.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HTW Berlin (Hochschule für Technik und Wirtschaft Berlin)coreOthers · 1 January 2006The university provided institutional support, facilities, and academic framework for the Formula Student team. The team represented HTW Berlin in competitions and won trophies for the institution over 14 years.
• SponsorsminorOthers · 1 January 2006Financial and material support from sponsors who made the Formula Student project possible. Sponsors were acknowledged as essential to the success story.
• Families of Team MembersminorOthers · 1 January 2006Family support acknowledged as part of the broader support network that made the team's 14-year success story possible.

Scale indicators2 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• Dallara: Italian race car manufacturer producing chassis for Formula Student, F2, F3, IndyCar and Indy Lights. Comparable as a scaled manufacturer serving the same Formula Student category, though as an established industry incumbent rather than a student team.
• Cosworth: British motorsport engine and electronics manufacturer with deep Formula 1 and Formula Student supply history. Comparable as a motorsport-focused powertrain specialist operating in the same engine-design domain, though at much larger scale and with broader commercial reach.
• Xtrac: UK-based motorsport transmission and driveline supplier serving Formula Student, GT, rally and single-seater categories. Comparable as a specialist supplier whose products are designed into Formula Student powertrains, paralleling HTW Berlin Motorsport's drivetrain engineering focus.

Direct peers

• Tatuus Racing: Italian race car manufacturer supplying chassis for Formula 4, USF Pro and Formula Student-adjacent single-seater categories. Comparable as a race car manufacturer serving the same customer base of junior formula and student racing teams.
• greenBEAR: Direct successor to HTW Berlin Motorsport at HTW Berlin, launched in 2022 to continue Formula Student activities with electric powertrains. Operates from the same university ecosystem with the same target customer base of HTW engineering students, and is explicitly named on the original team's website as the inheritor of the program.
• BRP-Rotax: Austrian manufacturer of high-performance small engines widely used in karting and Formula Student. Directly comparable as a supplier of the combustion powertrain category HTW Berlin Motorsport engineered around, though at commercial scale.

Others

• Ricardo: Global engineering consultancy with a motorsport and powertrain division working on vehicle, engine and driveline programs. Comparable as a peer providing motorsport engineering expertise at scale, though structured as a consultancy rather than a racing team.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HTWMotorsport

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 HTW Berlin Motorsport