What TUM Boring does

TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e.V. is a nonprofit student registered association (eingetragener Verein) founded in July 2020 at the Technical University of Munich. The organization designs, builds, and competes with microtunnel boring machines (TBMs) in the Not-a-Boring Competition organized by The Boring Company. Its workforce is a volunteer team of 60+ students drawn from 16 TUM faculties and Munich University of Applied Sciences, with approximately 25% international members representing 16 countries. The team has won the competition twice (2021 in Las Vegas, 2023 in Austin) and is currently preparing a next-generation TBM for the 2026 edition in Texas.

The core product is a custom-built TBM engineered to bore a 30-meter tunnel at 500mm diameter faster than industry-standard machines. The integrated machine (22,000 kg, 12.2m × 2.4m × 2.6m, fit inside a 40ft shipping container) consists of eight engineered subsystems: a cutterhead with cutting wheel, rotating drum, sealed bearing, and four synchronous motors; a PLC-based control system evaluating ~30 sensors and 15 actuators; a laser guidance system for axis deviation; a hydraulic propulsion system with two clamps delivering 500 kN continuous / 1 MN discontinuous jacking force; a revolver-style pipe storage for rapid segment switching; six conveyor belts plus an auger for material removal; water-cooled synchronous motors with self-designed cooling plates for high power density; and a hydraulic steering system with integrated sensors. The team's design packet submitted in January 2021 totaled 151 pages and over 6,500 CAD hours.

TUM Boring operates an event-driven, sponsorship-funded nonprofit model with no commercial revenue, no pricing model, no material compensation to participants, and no equity funding. Resources flow from 20+ industrial sponsors (Herrenknecht AG, Liebherr, ABB, Eaton, Knorr-Bremse, Lapp, Autodesk, PERI, Dillinger, Eiffage, 3M, thyssenkrupp rothe erde, Zeppelin Rental, Max Bögl, Bauer AG, STRABAG, Hochtief, CombiLift, Exail), financial sponsors (BayernLB, Elia Group), academic partners (TUM, HM), and the Bavarian Construction Industry Association. Institutional support comes from TUM (with President Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann serving as Project Patron) and UnternehmerTUM GmbH. Governance sits with board members Finn Kattein, Sulejman Biscevic, and Felix Blanke, supplemented by faculty, project, and sub-team leads.

Name

TUM Boring

Legal name

TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e. V.

Website

https://tum-boring.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

TUM Boring – Innovation in Tunneling e.V. is a Munich-based nonprofit student organization that designs and builds custom tunnel boring machines for the Not-a-Boring Competition, achieving back-to-back wins in 2021 and 2023 through a 60+ member multidisciplinary volunteer team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Tunnel Boring Machines

NAICS

Construction Machinery Manufacturing (333120), Material Handling Equipment Manufacturing (33392)

SIC

Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

Bulk Solids Handling & Processing Equipment (Conveying, Silo, Feeders) (IMAHAEAG)

Keywords

• Tunnel boring machines
• Microtunneling technology
• Nonprofit engineering initiative
• Student competition robotics
• Underground infrastructure innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

München

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Donations: TUM Boring is a nonprofit organization (e.V.) that relies on sponsorship and donations from industrial partners, academic institutions, and supporters. No commercial revenue is generated.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

TUM Boring designs, engineers, and fabricates a custom tunnel boring machine (TBM) for participation in The Boring Company's Not-a-Boring Competition. The 22,000 kg machine, with 540 mm inner tunnel diameter and propulsion up to 1 MN, is built by a 60+ member student team from 16 TUM faculties and integrates a cutterhead, PLC-based control, laser guidance, hydraulic propulsion, revolver pipe storage, conveyor-based material removal, and water-cooled synchronous motors. The machine fits within a 40ft shipping container for transport to international competition venues.

Product overview

TUM Boring is a nonprofit student initiative that develops tunnel boring machines (TBMs) for the Not-a-Boring Competition, an annual challenge organized by The Boring Company. Their core product is a custom-designed tunnel boring machine optimized for speed, built by integrating multiple subsystems: the Cutterhead for excavation, Guidance System for laser-based navigation, Control System (PLC-based) for machine coordination, Propulsion System for pipe feeding, Material Removal System for excavated soil transport, Power System with water-cooled motors, and a Revolver for segment storage. The entire machine is designed to fit within a 40ft shipping container for transport. TUM Boring has won the competition twice (2021, 2023), establishing itself as a leader in innovative tunneling technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) A custom-built tunnel boring machine optimized for the Not-a-Boring Competition, with 22,000 kg total weight, 540 mm inner tunnel diameter, propulsion force up to 1 MN (discontinuous mode) or 500 kN (continuous mode), and overall dimensions of 12.2m x 2.4m x 2.6m. It integrates a cutterhead, PLC-based control system, laser guidance, hydraulic propulsion, revolver pipe storage, water-cooled synchronous motors, conveyor-based material removal, and steering system, all packaged to fit within a 40ft shipping container for transport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Two-time winner of Not-a-Boring Competition (2021 Las Vegas, 2023 Austin)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• Technical University of Munich (TUM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong institutional support including access to facilities, faculty advisors, and resources. University President Prof. Dr. Thomas F. Hofmann serves as project patron. Team draws students from 16 TUM faculties.
• Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPractice-oriented programs provide additional student talent and academic resources for the project.
• Bavarian Construction Industry AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents 100+ Bavarian construction companies and promotes innovation within the construction industry. Provides industry connections and support.
• LiebherrmajorOthersInternational manufacturer providing financial and in-kind support for TUM Boring's tunnel boring machine development.
• Herrenknecht AGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading tunnel boring machine manufacturer. Provides industry expertise, construction hall facilities, and support for testing operations in Munich area.
• CombiLiftminorOthersMaterial handling equipment manufacturer providing sponsorship support.
• PERIminorOthersFormwork and scaffolding systems manufacturer supporting the project.
• DillingerminorOthersSteel plate manufacturer providing materials support.
• EiffageminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational construction group providing industry expertise and support.
• HochtiefminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational construction company providing industry support and expertise.
• Max BöglminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman construction company providing support and facilities.
• Bauer AGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialist construction machinery manufacturer (geotechnical engineering).
• STRABAGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean construction group providing industry expertise.
• thyssenkrupp rothe erdeminorOthersRotary components and slewing bearings manufacturer.
• Zeppelin RentalminorOthersEquipment rental company providing construction equipment.
• 3MminorOthersDiversified technology company providing various materials and solutions.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Komatsu: Global construction and mining equipment manufacturer, including equipment used in underground and tunneling contexts. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose tunneling-adjacent product portfolio overlaps with TUM Boring's engineering domain.
• Caterpillar: Largest construction equipment OEM globally, with tunneling and underground product lines. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the heavy machinery category in which TUM Boring's TBM technology sits.
• Liebherr: International manufacturer of construction equipment and a major industrial sponsor of TUM Boring. Comparable as a broad incumbent in heavy construction machinery with overlapping capability in large-scale engineering equipment.
• The Boring Company: Organizer of the Not-a-Boring Competition and operator of its own TBM-based tunneling projects. Comparable as the principal counterparty that defines the validation framework TUM Boring competes within and a direct builder of TBMs for real infrastructure.
• Robbins Company: Long-established manufacturer of tunnel boring machines and underground construction equipment. Comparable as an incumbent in the same TBM product category that TUM Boring's technology is benchmarked against.
• Herrenknecht AG: Global market leader in tunnel boring machine manufacturing and a core strategic partner of TUM Boring. Comparable as the incumbent industrial player whose TBM technology and pipeline the student team is attempting to disrupt at microtunneling scale.

Direct peers

• Bauer AG: Specialist in geotechnical engineering and construction machinery, including foundation and tunneling equipment. A sponsor and direct industry peer for the kind of TBM and foundation equipment TUM Boring is innovating on.
• WARR Hyperloop (TUM Hyperloop): Sister student engineering team at the Technical University of Munich that has won the SpaceX Hyperloop Pod Competition multiple times. Closely comparable as a TUM-affiliated student innovation organization with the same competition-driven, sponsor-funded, voluntary-talent model.

Regional players

• STRABAG: European construction group with significant tunneling and infrastructure delivery capability. A sponsor and a Europe-headquartered end user of TBM technology comparable in target application.
• Hochtief: International construction company with major tunneling project experience, headquartered in Germany. Comparable as a regional incumbent and TUM Boring sponsor active in the same tunneling end market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=-0SljoJPty0
• Facebookfacebook.com/tumboring
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tum-boring
• Instagraminstagram.com/tum_boring
• Xx.com/tum_boring

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TUM Boring