ESIEESPACE

What ESIEESPACE does

ESIEESPACE is the student association for electronics, robotics, and aerospace at ESIEE Paris, founded in 1984 and operating from the school campus at Cité Descartes in Noisy-le-Grand, France. It functions as a physical workspace and knowledge-sharing hub where engineering students access materials and mentorship from peers to apply theoretical coursework through hands-on projects. The association is organized as a student-run, non-profit entity under the ESIEE Paris academic institution, with no external investment structure disclosed.

The core offering is the annual SumoBot competition, first held in 2017 and self-described as the first and largest Sumo robot competition in France, in which participants build autonomous robots designed to push opponents out of a circular arena. The competition is supported by a DIY SumoBot Kit (delivered in disassembled form with soldering required, accompanied by a construction manual and component course) and extension kits for adding sensors or motors. The SumoBot word mark and logo are registered with the French National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). Corporate sponsors including Thales, Texas Instruments, RS Components, and Caliban provide prize support and components.

The business model centers on hardware sales of kits and extensions through the association's own online boutique (boutique.esieespace.fr) and on-site sales at competition events, reaching engineering students at ESIEE Paris and external robotics hobbyists in the Île-de-France region. The portfolio comprises the competition event as the flagship engagement mechanism, the kit as the accessible on-ramp product, and the boutique as the direct-to-consumer sales channel, with no disclosed pricing or revenue figures.

Name

ESIEESPACE

Legal name

ESIEESPACE

Website

https://esieespace.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ESIEESPACE is the student-run electronics, robotics, and aerospace association at ESIEE Paris, operating since 1984 from the Noisy-le-Grand campus. It hosts the annual SumoBot robot combat competition, sells DIY SumoBot kits and extensions through its own boutique, and serves engineering students and external robotics hobbyists in Île-de-France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Robotics Kits

NAICS

Doll, Toy, and Game Manufacturing (33993), Computer Training (611420)

akta.pro primary industry

Robotics Learning Platforms (EDAFANAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Robot Hardware, Actuators & Components (sensors, grippers, motors) (HDAAAIAL)

Keywords

• Robotics competition
• DIY robot kits
• Electronics education
• Sumo robot
• Engineering student association

Headquarters

HQ city

Noisy-le-Grand

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SumoBot Kit Sales: Sale of complete robot kits in disassembled form including programs. Kits are purchased by competition participants, beginners in robotics, and hobbyists wanting to learn electronics through hands-on assembly.
2. Extension Kit Sales: Sale of extension kits allowing customization with additional sensors and motors for the base SumoBot robot.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ESIEESPACE runs the annual SumoBot autonomous robot combat competition at ESIEE Paris and designs/sells DIY SumoBot hardware kits (base kit with program, construction manual, and component course, plus extension kits for sensors and motors) through its online boutique. The offering is targeted at beginners in robotics and expert enthusiasts who want to learn electronics through hands-on kit assembly and competition participation.

Product overview

ESIEESPACE operates as a student electronics, robotics, and aerospace association at ESIEE Paris. The core offering is the annual SumoBot robot combat competition, where participants build autonomous robots to compete in a circular arena. The association supports participants through the SumoBot Kit — a complete DIY robot kit (with program, construction manual, and component course) sold via the Boutique. Extension kits are available for adding sensors and motors. The portfolio consists of the competition event as the primary product, the kit as an accessible entry point, and the boutique as the sales channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SumoBot: Annual robot combat competition organized by ESIEESPACE for beginners and experts

Products and services

• SumoBot Competition Annual robot combat competition where participants build small autonomous robots designed to find and push opponents out of a circular arena, similar to sumo wrestling. Open to all levels with beginner, expert, and 2v2 team categories. Held at the ESIEE Paris campus in Noisy-le-Grand, France.
• SumoBot Kit Complete DIY robot kit sold in disassembled form including the program, that must be soldered and assembled. Includes construction manual and component course so beginners understand the functionality of each part. Designed to be fully modifiable at both component and code levels, and is the entry point for participating in the SumoBot competition.
• Kit Extensions Extension kits that add sensors or motors to the base SumoBot robot, enabling participants to enhance and customize their robots beyond the basic configuration.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ESIEE Sans FrontièresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnother student club at ESIEE Paris that provides catering services during competition events.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Arduino: Arduino's open-source microcontroller platform underpins most DIY electronics/robotics learning kits, including ESIEESPACE-style sumo robots. It is comparable as a community-led STEM learning ecosystem with open hardware and large maker community.
• Adafruit: Adafruit produces open-source DIY electronics kits and learning resources for makers and students, with a comparable business model of selling accessible hardware kits accompanied by educational content and an open community.
• Pololu: Pololu designs and sells robot hardware components (motors, sensors, chassis kits) used by hobbyist and educational builders. Comparable to ESIEESPACE as a supplier of robot-building components, though focused on individual components rather than integrated kits.
• VEX Robotics: VEX runs structured robotics education kits and the globally recognized VEX Robotics Competition, directly comparable to ESIEESPACE's combination of DIY robotics kits and an annual competition for students. It is the closest scale analog for a school-based robotics kit + competition model.
• MakeBlock (mBot): MakeBlock produces modular DIY robotics learning kits (mBot line) with curricula and competitions, comparable to the SumoBot Kit in audience (beginner-to-intermediate students) and business model (hardware kit + educational content).
• FIRST Robotics: FIRST organizes student robotics competitions globally, with a kit-based build experience and tiered categories similar to ESIEESPACE's beginner/expert split. Both pair kit distribution with a recurring competition format aimed at engineering students.

Broad incumbents

• RobotShop: RobotShop is an e-commerce retailer and integrator of consumer/educational robotics products and kits. Comparable to ESIEESPACE as a sales channel for hobbyist robotics kits, though at a much larger scale and with broader product breadth.
• LEGO Mindstorms / LEGO Education: LEGO Mindstorms is the established incumbent in robotics learning kits for students, offering a comparable entry-level robotics build experience but with vastly broader distribution, curriculum integration, and brand recognition.

Emerging players

• Oui Are Makers: Oui Are Makers is a French-language DIY/maker content platform that has published ESIEESPACE tutorials. Comparable as a French ecosystem player in the maker education space where ESIEESPACE also operates and seeks visibility.

Regional players

• Robotique en France: Regional French community and event organizer focused on amateur robotics competitions in France — directly comparable to ESIEESPACE's SumoBot in geography and target community, though broader in competition format.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/ESIEESPACE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esieespace

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 ESIEESPACE