What RoboNation does

RoboNation, Inc. is a Virginia-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Arlington, VA, founded in 2009 to operate a portfolio of international robotics education programs and competitions serving K-12 through university students. The organization runs nine named programs spanning underwater (SeaPerch, SeaGlide, RoboSub), surface maritime (RoboBoat, RobotX, EasyUSV, Promoting Electric Propulsion), ground (IGVC), and aerial (SUAS, IARC) autonomy domains, drawing hundreds of teams from 10+ countries annually. RoboNation itself does not develop proprietary robotics technology; rather, it provides the competition framework, rules, venues, and — via its partnership with Open Robotics and the Naval Postgraduate School — simulation environments (Virtual RobotX), while student teams build autonomous vehicles using commercially available sensors, computer vision, and embedded software.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid of corporate and federal sponsorships (anchored by the US Office of Naval Research, with additional support from Northrop Grumman, Blue Origin, NVIDIA, MathWorks, Siemens, SolidWorks, Velodyne Lidar, and Blue Robotics), competition registration fees, and e-commerce sales of educational kits (notably SeaPerch ROV kits) and merchandise through its own Shopify storefront. Distribution is event-driven: annual international competitions serve as the primary recruitment and engagement vehicle, complemented by an online community forum, social media channels, the RoboTimes publication, and direct institutional partnerships with schools and universities.

RoboNation's value proposition targets three stakeholder groups: students (hands-on autonomous systems experience and career pathway exposure), volunteers and educators (structured mentoring opportunities), and corporate sponsors (early access to job-ready engineering talent for naval establishments, shipyards, and defense contractors). The nonprofit's strategic positioning is tightly aligned with US Navy workforce development priorities, which underwrites its primary funding base and most of its programmatic expansion.

Name

RoboNation

Legal name

RoboNation, Inc.

Website

https://robonation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Robotics Education Programs and Competitions

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Educational Support Services (611710), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA), Drones, UAVs & Aerial Robotics Programs (EDAMADAJ), Academic Integrity, Device Monitoring & Classroom Management Tools (EDAJAMAK), Contest Prep Bootcamps & Intensive Workshops (EDAMAEAE)

Keywords

• Robotics competitions
• STEM education programs
• Autonomous vehicle competitions
• Underwater robotics education
• Maritime robotics training

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Competition Registration Fees: Teams pay registration fees to participate in RoboNation's robotics competitions. Revenue supports event operations, venue costs, and program administration.
2. Shop and Merchandise: RoboNation operates an online shop selling SeaPerch kits, merchandise, and related educational materials. Sales of kit packages to schools, teams, and individuals generate revenue.
3. Sponsorships and Donations: Corporate sponsors (defense contractors, technology companies) provide financial support and in-kind contributions. Individual donors contribute through the donate page. Sponsors gain access to student talent for recruitment purposes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RoboNation organizes and operates a portfolio of nine educational robotics programs and annual international competitions that teach students from K-12 through university to design, build, and operate autonomous systems across maritime, ground, and aerial domains. Programs range from introductory kit-based curricula (SeaPerch, SeaGlide, GoSense) to advanced autonomy competitions (RoboSub, RoboBoat, RobotX, IGVC, SUAS, IARC), with associated kit sales and an online community forum serving as supporting engagement channels.

Product overview

RoboNation operates a portfolio of nine educational robotics programs spanning K-12 through university levels, organized around two educational pathways: an introductory STEM track (SeaPerch, SeaGlide, GoSense) that teaches foundational robotics and engineering concepts through hands-on building, and an advanced autonomous systems track (RoboSub, RoboBoat, RobotX, IGVC, SUAS, IARC) that progresses students to designing fully autonomous robots. SeaPerch is the foundational ROV program, SeaGlide introduces autonomous underwater gliders, and GoSense provides sensor extensions for both. The competitive programs — RoboSub (autonomous submarines), RoboBoat (autonomous surface boats), RobotX (multi-domain maritime autonomy), IGVC (autonomous ground vehicles), SUAS (autonomous aerial systems), and IARC (aerial robotics missions) — each culminate in annual international competitions. The organization also supports a Shop for kit sales, a Community Forum for participant collaboration, and the EasyUSV and SeaSense programs for specialized autonomous boat curricula and global maritime STEM outreach. Together, the programs provide a pathway of hands-on experiences from introductory STEM to advanced autonomous systems engineering, serving naval establishments, defense contractors, and the broader robotics industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SeaPerch An underwater robotics program in which students build a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) and connect STEM concepts to hands-on robotics. SeaPerch teaches youth the fundamentals of underwater robotics through a structured curriculum and culminates in a competitive challenge (the International SeaPerch Challenge). Targeted at K-12 and pre-university students, with expansion into international markets such as Japan.
• SeaGlide A miniature autonomous underwater glider program that provides students with an unboxed glider platform and resources to explore underwater robotics and autonomous navigation concepts. Targeted at students progressing beyond introductory ROV building toward autonomous underwater systems.
• GoSense An affordable data-collection tool and sensor platform that extends the capabilities of SeaPerch and other RoboNation programs for hands-on robotics education. Used to introduce students to sensor integration and data collection in underwater and surface robotics contexts.
• RoboSub An annual international autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) competition where student teams design and program submarines to demonstrate autonomy by completing underwater tasks including navigation, acoustic tracking, object identification via computer vision, and torpedo firing. The flagship RoboNation competition since 1998.
• RoboBoat An annual international competition in which student teams develop autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) to navigate and race through aquatic obstacle courses that mimic coastal surveillance, port security, and oceanographic operations. RoboBoat 2026 hosted 37 teams from 10 countries in Sarasota, FL.
• RobotX / Maritime RobotX Challenge An international multi-domain autonomous vehicle competition (air, land, and water) that invites innovators to solve real-world challenges for the public and private sector. The Maritime RobotX Challenge is the primary in-water event, focusing on cooperative maritime autonomy. The 2024 Maritime RobotX Challenge was held in Southwest Florida.
• IGVC (Intelligent Ground Vehicle Competition) An annual ground vehicle competition requiring student teams to design fully autonomous robots that navigate on-road and off-road courses without human intervention, using advanced sensors including GPS, Lidar, computer vision, magnetometers, and IMUs. Team vehicles integrate the U.S. Army's Robotic Technology Kernel (RTK) open-source autonomy package.
• SUAS (Student Unmanned Aerial Systems Competition) An annual unmanned aerial systems competition in which student teams design, build, and demonstrate autonomous UAS capable of autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, aerial imaging, and precision payload delivery. RoboNation assumed management of the program in 2023.
• IARC (International Aerial Robotics Competition) An aerial robotics competition that advances the field of aerial robotics through mission-based challenges requiring teams to develop and demonstrate increasingly sophisticated autonomous flight capabilities. Added to the RoboNation portfolio in 2014.
• Virtual RobotX (VRX) Competition A global, nautical-themed virtual robotics competition providing simulated environments for testing autonomous surface vehicles (USVs). Developed in partnership with Naval Postgraduate School CRUSER and Open Robotics, it broadens student exposure to autonomy and maritime robotic technologies without requiring physical vessel builds.
• EasyUSV Program A training curriculum and resource program offering guides and resources for designing autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). Targeted at students from high school to graduate level to prepare them for work in USV technology and support U.S. Navy autonomous fleet capabilities. Developed with a $600,000 ONR grant awarded to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• SeaSense A RoboNation program focused on ocean literacy and maritime STEM education, partnering with organizations globally (e.g., Japan Underwater Drone Association) to expand SeaPerch programs internationally.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 600 students from 54 teams participated in RoboSub 2019, with teams from 13 countries
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Japan Underwater Drone AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Partnered with RoboNation to launch the SeaPerch Program in Japan, expanding the international reach of underwater robotics education to a new geographic market.
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2026Embry-Riddle received a $600,000 grant from the Office of Naval Research to develop the EasyUSV program, which offers training guides and resources for designing autonomous boats. This initiative supports U.S. Navy efforts to build autonomous fleet capabilities.
• US Office of Naval ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Primary strategic partner and major funder of RoboNation competitions. The Office of Naval Research backs RoboSub, RoboBoat, and other competitions with the stated goal of producing job-ready engineers for naval establishments, shipyards, and defense contractors. ONR also provides grants for related educational initiatives.
• NIWC PacificcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific partners with RoboNation to host the RoboSub competition. NIWC Pacific provides the Transducer Evaluation Center pool in San Diego as the competition venue and collaborates on program sponsorship.
• Naval Postgraduate SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019NPS partners with RoboNation and Open Robotics to host the Virtual RobotX (VRX) competition, providing simulated environments for testing autonomous surface vehicles. NPS researchers from the CRUSER program designed the real-time simulated environment.
• Open RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partner for RobotX and Virtual RobotX competitions. Open Robotics collaborated with RoboNation and NPS to develop simulation environments for autonomous maritime vehicles, enabling teams worldwide to test their programs.
• Blue RoboticsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of RoboSub, RoboBoat, and RobotX competitions. Provides thrusters and other underwater robotics components. Attended as a sponsor since 2015, engaging with teams and recruiting students for employment.
• NvidiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of RobotX and RoboBoat competitions. Provides GPU technology and support for autonomous systems development. Uses competitions for recruitment of engineering talent.
• MathWorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of RobotX and RoboBoat competitions. Provides MATLAB and Simulink software tools for competition teams to use in developing autonomous systems.
• Velodyne LidarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of RobotX and RoboBoat competitions. Provides Lidar sensors for autonomous vehicle development and supports teams with technical resources.
• SiemensminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of RobotX competition, providing software tools and technical support for competition teams.
• SolidWorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsor of RobotX competition, providing CAD software and design tools for competition teams.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MATE Center (MATE ROV Competition): MATE runs international student ROV competitions that overlap directly with RoboNation's SeaPerch and RoboSub programs, particularly at the university and high-school level, and competes for maritime-autonomy sponsors.
• BEST Robotics: BEST Robotics hosts team-based robotics competitions for middle and high school students using a standardized kit. It directly overlaps with RoboNation's outreach into schools and competes for the same corporate sponsors.
• REC Foundation (VEX Robotics): The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation operates VEX IQ, VEX V5, and VEX U competitions used by tens of thousands of K-12 and university teams. It is a direct competitor for robotics competition registrations and sponsor funding.
• FIRST (FIRST Robotics Competition): FIRST runs the world's largest K-12 robotics competition portfolio (FRC, FTC, FLL). It is the most direct competitor for student mindshare, sponsorships, and university-level talent pipelines in educational robotics.
• Botball (KISS Institute for Practical Robotics): KIPR's Botball program is a middle-to-high-school autonomous robotics competition. It competes for K-12 student participation in autonomous robotics programs at the same educational level as RoboNation's SeaPerch and introductory pathways.

Others

• NVIDIA: NVIDIA sponsors RobotX and RoboBoat for both tooling and recruitment. As a GPU/AI platform provider, it is an adjacent enabler of the competition stack and a sponsor relationship critical to RoboNation's program success.
• Society for Science (Regeneron Science Talent Search / ISEF): Society for Science runs premier STEM competitions (ISEF, STS) that attract the same high-performing student pool RoboNation targets. It is not a robotics peer but competes for student time, school partnerships, and STEM sponsor dollars.
• MathWorks: MathWorks (MATLAB/Simulink) is a long-standing RoboNation sponsor and supplies tools widely used in academic robotics. It is an enabling technology peer rather than a direct competitor but is representative of the engineering-software ecosystem around RoboNation programs.

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: LEGO Education is a major incumbent in K-12 STEM robotics, including FIRST's FIRST LEGO League. It overlaps with RoboNation at the K-12 robotics entry level and competes for school-curriculum adoption and education budgets.

Emerging players

• Open Robotics: Open Robotics co-developed the Virtual RobotX simulation environment with RoboNation and NPS. It is an enabling technology peer rather than direct competitor but represents an adjacent open-source force shaping the autonomous-systems education stack.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RoboNationInc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQbovXzNNhW8jWZXaX8IIgA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/robonation
• Instagraminstagram.com/robonation
• Facebookfacebook.com/RoboNationInc

Compliance1 record

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 RoboNation