Hanze Racing Division - HARD

What Hanze Racing Division - HARD does

Hanze Racing Division (HARD), legally Stichting Hanze Racing Division, is a Groningen-based non-profit student foundation (RSIN 823019330) that designs, builds and races electric Formula Student cars. Founded around 2010/2013, the organization draws approximately 30 student members from Hanze University of Applied Sciences and the University of Groningen, organized into Mechanical, Electrical, Driverless and Communication departments, with a six-person student board (Team Manager, Treasurer, Secretary, Chief Engineer, and department leads). HARD competes in international Formula Student events held at venues such as TT Circuit Assen, Hockenheimring and Silverstone, and passed Formula Student Netherlands scrutineering in 2025 with the HRD06.2 vehicle. The current seventh-generation car, HRD07, is in development, and the team maintains a 30 ETCS academic minor program that integrates HARD work into student degree credit.

The team's core products are successive generations of electric Formula Student race cars — HRD-05 (the first fully electric car, rolled out June 2023), HRD06/HRD06.2 (rolled out June 2024) and HRD07 (in development) — built around three technical pillars: an electric powertrain with custom battery and wiring harness systems, a comprehensive Formula Student-compliant safety shutdown architecture (LVMS, BSPD, IMD, AMS, TSMS, AIR coils, inertia switch, BOTS), and a Driverless software stack combining computer vision for cone detection, SLAM-based mapping using RPLidar, and reinforcement learning for path planning. HARD does not sell products or services commercially; it is funded through corporate sponsorship (including cash, parts, software and tools from partners such as Shell, SimScale, Stork, 3Dconnexion, STMicroelectronics, Würth Elektronik, Eurocircuits, Schroth Racing, Easy Composites and others), individual member fees (EUR 3,000 per member per Formula Student Netherlands season), in-kind academic support from Hanze UAS and the University of Groningen, and competition prizes. The foundation's stated purpose is educational: to give students hands-on engineering experience in mechanical, electrical and software disciplines, and to serve as a recruitment and brand-visibility channel for its industrial sponsors.

Name

Hanze Racing Division - HARD

Legal name

Hanze Racing Division Stichting

Website

https://hanzeracingdivision.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hanze Racing Division (HARD) is a Groningen-based non-profit student foundation that designs and builds electric Formula Student race cars, drawing ~30 members from Hanze University of Applied Sciences and the University of Groningen and competing in international events. The team is funded by corporate sponsors, member fees and academic support rather than commercial sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Formula Student Electric Race Cars

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsport Driver Training Schools & Racing Academies (MPAKAJAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid Powertrain Integration Manufacturing (ICE-HEV/PHEV modules) (IMACAHAJ), Alternative Fuel, Hybrid & EV Service (High-Voltage) (EDAOAEAL)

Keywords

• Formula Student racing
• Electric race cars
• Student engineering teams
• Autonomous vehicle development
• Motorsport engineering education

Headquarters

HQ city

Groningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorship: Financial and technical support from companies sponsoring the Formula Student team. Partners provide money, parts, knowledge, and tools. The foundation acquires funds through donations, subsidies, gifts, sponsorship, or prizes from competitions.
2. Individual Membership Fees: Members contribute to competition participation costs. From 2020-2021 policy: members contributed 3,000 EUR for Formula Student Netherlands event participation.
3. Academic Partnership: Support from Hanze University of Applied Sciences providing resources, facilities, and integration with academic minor program (30 ETCS).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hanze Racing Division (HARD) is a student-led Formula Student team that designs, produces, and races successive generations of fully electric race cars for international Formula Student competitions. Operating as a non-profit foundation (Stichting) hosted at the Energy Barn on Zernike Campus in Groningen, the team works across Mechanical, Electrical, Driverless, and Communications departments to deliver a competitive electric vehicle each season. The organization also delivers the HARD Minor Program, a 30 ETCS-credit academic minor integrated with Hanze University of Applied Sciences.

Product overview

Hanze Racing Division (HARD) is a student-led Formula Student team that designs, produces, and assembles electric race cars for international competition. The organization operates three engineering departments—Mechanical, Electrical, and Driverless—that work collaboratively on car development. HARD's product line consists of successive electric Formula Student race car generations (HRD-05, HRD06/HRD06.2, and HRD07 currently in development), representing the core competitive vehicles. The team also offers an educational minor program where students earn 30 ETCS credits while contributing full-time to the project. The Driverless Department focuses on autonomous racing technology including SLAM, computer vision, and reinforcement learning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HRD-05 Race Car Fifth-generation fully electric Formula Student race car built by HARD; the team's first fully electric vehicle. Raced at Formula Student Netherlands at TT Circuit Assen.
• HRD06 Race Car Sixth-generation electric Formula Student race car built by HARD; the updated HRD06.2 successfully passed Formula Student Netherlands scrutineering in 2025.
• HRD07 Race Car Seventh-generation electric Formula Student race car currently under development by HARD, with simulation support from sponsor SimScale for structural, fluid, thermal, electromagnetic, and multiphysics analyses.
• HARD Minor Program Semester-long academic minor allowing students to work full-time on a technical direction within HARD and receive 30 ETCS credits. Minor students may also serve on the foundation's board.

Quantifiable outcome

• Passed Formula Student Netherlands scrutineering in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SimScalecoreTechnology or Integration · 16 October 2025Cloud-based engineering simulation software provider offering free academic access through their sponsorship program. Enables structural, fluid, thermal, electromagnetic, and multiphysics simulations for HRD07 development.
• Hanze University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution providing academic integration, workshop facilities, faculty support, and minor program (30 ETCS). Professor Matthew McDonald organized composite manufacturing workshop for the team.
• University of GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university providing student recruitment base for the multidisciplinary team.
• ICD DrachtenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeeting established in February 2025 to support development of the car in coming months.
• 3DconnexioncoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides 3D mouse/input devices for CAD and design work.
• StorkcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerManufacturing partner that welded the HRD05-2 chassis in February 2020. Provided hands-on manufacturing expertise.
• Joostens WorkshopminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorkshop services provider.
• Kroon Wire HarnessescoreTechnology or IntegrationCollaborated with HARD to develop custom wire harness for HRD05-2 ensuring reliable electrical system operation.
• LaserWorxcoreTechnology or IntegrationLaser cut the HRD05 chassis for the team.
• SkidPipingcoreTechnology or IntegrationBent tubes for the HRD05 chassis.
• Staal StraalcoreTechnology or IntegrationApplied powder coating to HRD05-2 chassis during production.
• CombimaccoreTechnology or IntegrationSupplier of E-racer motor used in HRD05 simplified design concept, connecting to differential via chain drive.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• KA-RaceIng: KIT Karlsruhe's Formula Student team in Germany, a top-tier European FS team building electric and autonomous race cars. Highly comparable due to shared competition format, electric+driverless focus, and industry sponsor model.
• University Racing Twente: University of Twente's Formula Student team building combustion, electric and autonomous race cars. Comparable peer based in the Netherlands, competing in the same Formula Student events with a similar student-led structure and sponsorship-driven funding.
• AMZ Racing Team: ETH Zurich's Formula Student team, among the most successful globally in electric and driverless categories. Comparable as a university student team developing electric powertrains and autonomous driving software for Formula Student.
• Delft University of Technology Racing Team (DUT Racing): Student Formula Student team at TU Delft competing in the same Formula Student Netherlands and international events with electric and autonomous vehicles. Highly comparable as a Dutch university-based EV Formula Student team with industry sponsor backing.
• TU Munich Formula Student (TUW Racing / TUfast): Technical University of Munich's Formula Student team. Comparable as a leading European student engineering team competing in the same Formula Student events with electric and autonomous vehicle development.
• Eindhoven University of Technology Racing (URE): TU Eindhoven's Formula Student team. Comparable as a Dutch university engineering team building electric race cars for the same Formula Student competitions, drawing on a similar student talent pool.

Others

• Hanze University of Applied Sciences: HARD's host institution, providing academic integration, workshop facilities and faculty support. Relevant as the strategic ecosystem partner enabling the team's operations rather than a competing team.
• Global Formula Student (Formula Student Germany organizer): Organizer of the flagship Formula Student Germany competition at Hockenheimring. Relevant as the governing body for the competition HARD participates in, though not a direct peer team.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hanze-racing-division
• Instagraminstagram.com/hanze_racing_division
• Xx.com/hanzeracing
• Facebookfacebook.com/hanzeracingdivision

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Hanze Racing Division - HARD