Herkules Racing Team

What Herkules Racing Team does

Herkules Racing Team is a student-run engineering association (Herkules Racing e.V., registered at Amtsgericht Kassel, VR5036) operating at the University of Kassel since 2009. The team designs and builds Formula Student race cars, transitioning from combustion engines (2009–2017) to electric powertrains beginning in 2018 and adopting all-wheel-drive monocoque architecture from 2019 onward. The current car, the HRT24 Hermes (180 kg), features a self-developed 3rd-generation Battery Management System for a 600V/7.2 kWh Li-Ion NMC pack, four AMK Motion Dynasin DD5 motors with first-generation torque vectoring, self-developed FPGAs, and a prepreg carbon-fiber monocoque with aluminum honeycomb. The team consists of approximately 30 active members drawn from across all university faculties and an alumni network of over 850 graduates.

The organization is structured as a non-profit registered association (eingetragener Verein) and generates no commercial revenue. Funding is provided through corporate sponsorships across Platinum, Silver, and technology-partner tiers, plus private donations. Sponsors include Isovolta (Hauptsponsor), Hahn, Managed Hosting, VDI, Vector Informatik, Daimler Truck, Würth Elektronik, AMK Motion, Altair, Siemens, SolidWorks, Altium, BMZ Group, and SCHROTH Racing, alongside in-kind contributions of materials, software licenses, and manufacturing capacity. The team participates annually in Formula Student competitions across at least eight European countries, with documented podium finishes including a 3rd overall at FS Italy in 2017 and a 9th overall at FS UK in 2013.

The team's value proposition is educational rather than commercial: it provides University of Kassel students with practical experience in complete vehicle development using industry-standard tools, supported by faculty advisors across the mechanical, electrical, and business faculties. Its alumni are documented as taking roles at Ruf Automobile, Volkswagen, Quantron, and BMW Group, positioning the team as a talent pipeline into the German automotive and motorsport sectors.

Name

Herkules Racing Team

Legal name

Herkules Racing e.V.

Website

https://herkulesracing.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Herkules Racing Team is a non-profit student engineering association at the University of Kassel, Germany, founded in 2009. It designs and builds electric Formula Student race cars, trains approximately 30 students annually across mechanical, electrical, and software disciplines, and operates entirely on corporate sponsorships and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Motorsport Engineering

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Motorsports Teams (F1, NASCAR, IndyCar, Rally, MotoGP, etc.) (MPAKABAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Motorsports Support & Feeder Series (Developmental Championships) (MPAKAGAH)

Keywords

• Formula Student racing
• Electric vehicle engineering
• Student motorsport project
• Racing car development
• University racing team

Headquarters

HQ city

Kassel

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship and Donations: As a registered non-profit association (eingetragener Verein), Herkules Racing Team relies entirely on sponsorship from companies and donations. All contributions are used directly for the project without detours. Support comes in various forms including materials, software, manufacturing capacity, and monetary donations from private individuals.
2. Formula Student Competition Participation: Student educational project focused on practical engineering experience rather than commercial revenue generation. The team participates in international Formula Student competitions to demonstrate engineering capabilities and recruit future talent for industry partners.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Herkules Racing Team is a student-run engineering project at the University of Kassel that designs, builds, and races Formula Student competition vehicles annually. Since 2018, the team has focused on electric racing cars featuring proprietary battery management systems, FPGAs, and torque vectoring technology. The team participates in international Formula Student competitions to demonstrate engineering capability and deliver hands-on education to students across mechanical, electrical, and business disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• HRT24 – Hermes 2024 season Formula Student electric racing car designed, manufactured, and raced by the team. Built as the current generation EV racing platform demonstrating in-house BMS, FPGA, and torque vectoring technologies.
• HRT23 – Ikarus 2023 season Formula Student electric racing car built by the team, featuring all-wheel drive torque vectoring and the team's first self-developed high-voltage battery to pass technical inspection.
• HRT20E – Alkmene 2020 season Formula Student electric racing car — the team's first all-wheel-drive EV with monocoque construction. Established the electric AWD platform architecture used in subsequent vehicles.

Quantifiable outcome

• Formula Student participants are often preferred in the job market or gain access to coveted positions in the automotive sector
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered platinum sponsor, silver sponsor, partner, core and minor.

• Isovoltaplatinum sponsorOthersPlatinum level main sponsor providing composite materials for chassis and aerodynamic components. One of the primary material sponsors for the team.
• Hahn – HF GmbHplatinum sponsorOthersPlatinum level sponsor providing manufacturing capabilities and technical support.
• Managed Hostingplatinum sponsorOthersPlatinum level sponsor providing hosting and IT infrastructure services.
• VDI (Verein Deutscher Ingenieure)platinum sponsorOthersProfessional engineering association supporting the team as platinum sponsor, providing networking and professional development connections.
• Vector Informatikplatinum sponsorTechnology or IntegrationPlatinum sponsor providing automotive software tools and development environment for electronic control systems.
• Daimler Trucksilver sponsorOthersSilver level automotive manufacturer sponsor supporting the team.
• Würth Elektroniksilver sponsorOthersSilver level sponsor providing electronic components and connectors.
• Koch Maschinenbausilver sponsorOthersSilver level sponsor providing machining and manufacturing capabilities.
• WTL Formenbausilver sponsorOthersSilver level sponsor providing mold and tooling manufacturing.
• AMK MotionpartnerTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing electric motors (Dynasin DD5 series) and inverters for EV powertrain systems. Powers the team's electric vehicles since 2019.
• AltairpartnerTechnology or IntegrationSoftware partner providing simulation tools including Altair HyperMesh, Altair Inspire, and other CAE software for structural and thermal analysis.
• SolidWorks (Dassault Systèmes)partnerTechnology or IntegrationCAD software partner providing SolidWorks for 3D modeling and design.
• SiemenspartnerTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner providing industrial software and engineering tools.
• AltiumpartnerTechnology or IntegrationPCB design software partner providing Altium Designer for electronics development.
• BMZ GrouppartnerTechnology or IntegrationBattery technology partner providing lithium-ion cells and battery system expertise.
• SCHROTH RacingpartnerTechnology or IntegrationSafety equipment partner providing racing seats and safety harnesses for Formula Student.
• University of Kassel – FB15 MaschinenbaucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic department providing faculty advisors (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Michael Fister, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Hesselbach, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hartmut Hetzler, Dr. Daniel Wallenta), laboratory facilities, and institutional support for the project.
• University of Kassel – FB16 ElektrotechnikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic department providing faculty advisor (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jens Friebe), laboratory facilities, and institutional support for electrical systems development.
• IFW (Institut für Werkstofftechnik)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity institute providing materials testing and analysis support.
• GTK (Gießereitechnik)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity institute providing casting technology expertise and support.
• IAF (Institut für Antriebs- und Fahrzeugtechnik)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity institute providing powertrain and vehicle dynamics expertise.
• EMA (Elektromechanische Antriebstechnik)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity institute providing electrical drive systems expertise.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Deefselbeef Racing Team (TU Braunschweig): Formula Student team at TU Braunschweig, active since the mid-2000s. Direct peer: similarly sized German university FS team building EV race cars with student-led engineering organisation and automotive sponsor base.
• DUT Racing (TU Delft): Formula Student team at TU Delft, prominent in Formula Student Electric. Direct peer: student-run FS Electric team with comparable focus on in-house motor controllers, battery systems, and torque-vectoring technology.
• KA-RaceIng (KIT Karlsruhe): Formula Student team at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, regularly top-3 finisher in Formula Student Germany. Direct peer: similar student-led structure, EV powertrain focus, similar sponsor mix of automotive OEMs and software vendors.
• Schanzer Racing Team (TH Ingolstadt): Formula Student team at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt. Direct peer: German university FS team with strong ties to the automotive industry, comparable size and operating model.
• TUfast Racing Team (TU Munich): Formula Student team at TU Munich, one of the largest and most successful German FS teams. Direct peer because both build combustion/EV race cars and compete in the same Formula Student events with similar sponsorship-driven, student-led operating models.
• Stuttgarter Racing Team (University of Stuttgart): Formula Student team at the University of Stuttgart. Direct peer: German university student racing team competing in the same Formula Student events with the same sponsor-driven non-profit structure.
• Ecurie Aix (RWTH Aachen): Formula Student team at RWTH Aachen University, with strong track record in FS Germany. Direct peer: student-run racing team competing in the same Formula Student series with comparable engineering depth and automotive sponsor base.
• AMZ (ETH Zurich): Formula Student team at ETH Zurich, regularly a top European FS team. Direct peer: technically strong student team building EV race cars with similar in-house developed BMS, motor control, and chassis systems.

Others

• Vector Informatik: Automotive ECU and software tools vendor, currently a Platinum sponsor of Herkules. Included as a comparable ecosystem participant (supplier/enabler) rather than direct competitor, since Vector defines much of the development tooling the team uses.

Broad incumbents

• Formula Student Germany (FSG): The organiser of the largest Formula Student competition. While not a peer team itself, FSG sets the rules, event calendar, and judging criteria that directly govern Herkules' product, so it is the most relevant broad incumbent in the team's competitive context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/HerkulesRacing
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fs-team-herkules-racing-e-v
• Instagraminstagram.com/herkulesracing

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Herkules Racing Team