Polito Rocket Team
Polito Rocket Team is a 150+ member student rocketry organization at Politecnico di Torino that designs experimental sounding rockets (Cavour, VES) and the Efesto pressure-fed liquid engine, competing internationally at Spaceport America Cup, EuRoC, and IREC.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersTorino, Italy
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Polito Rocket Team does
Polito Rocket Team is a student rocketry organization hosted at Politecnico di Torino in Turin, Italy, comprising more than 150 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral engineering students from over 30 countries. Founded informally in October 2021 and officially approved by the university on June 7, 2022, the team conducts research, design, construction, and launch of experimental sounding rockets with scientific payload capability. It is an informal entity with no separate legal incorporation, operating under the university's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
The team's technical portfolio spans three flagship projects: Cavour, a 100 mm-diameter single-stage solid-propellant sounding rocket (~3 km apogee) with a modular composite airframe and 3D-printed carbon-reinforced polymer internal components; VES (Vittorio Emanuele II), a 130 mm-diameter solid rocket available in Mark I (~3,160 m apogee) and Mark II supersonic (target 9,000 m, Mach 1.8) variants featuring SRAD onboard avionics; and Efesto, the first Italian student pressure-fed liquid rocket engine using Nitrous Oxide oxidizer and Ethanol fuel, targeting 5 kN thrust with regenerative cooling and an additively manufactured copper-based metal matrix composite thrust chamber. Supporting SRAD subsystems include the DaVinci STM32-based flight computer (CAN protocol), the Marconi telemetry board with GPS and long-range comms, and a custom ground station. Engineering simulation and design leverage Siemens PLM, ANSYS, ESSS, BETA CAE, Altium Designer, and the in-house RocketForge engine simulation tool. The team competes internationally at Spaceport America Cup, the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC), and the International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC).
PRT has no commercial revenue. Its budget is funded roughly 28% by Politecnico di Torino and ~72% by external corporate sponsors and technology partners — including Sòphia High Tech (AS/EN9100-certified additive manufacturing), Siemens, Altium, Ansys, ESSS, BETA CAE, EvoMisure, and Explorer Cases — plus in-kind support from the Mul2 Research Group and ASSOCAM Scuola Camerana. All team members work voluntarily. Customer-facing outputs are competition results (notably 1st place Design and Build Quality at IREC 2025; 4th for vehicle quality at EuRoC 2024; Dr. Gil Moore Award for Innovation at SA Cup 2023), technical publications, and the IRESS summit the team founded to convene Italian university rocketry teams.
Polito Rocket Team firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Polito Rocket Team
- Legal name
- Polito Rocket Team
- Website
- https://politorocketteam.it
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Polito Rocket Team is a 150+ member student rocketry organization at Politecnico di Torino that designs experimental sounding rockets (Cavour, VES) and the Efesto pressure-fed liquid engine, competing internationally at Spaceport America Cup, EuRoC, and IREC.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Polito Rocket Team industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Experimental Rocketry
- NAICS
- Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Propulsion Unit and Propulsion Unit Parts Manufacturing (336415), Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Manufacturing (336414), Other Guided Missile and Space Vehicle Parts and Auxiliary Equipment Manufacturing (336419)
- SIC
- Guided Missiles & Space Vehicles & Parts (3760), Engines & Turbines (3510)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets (IMABACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Rocket Engines (Liquid) (IMABADAE), Rocket Engines (Solid) (IMABADAF), Functional Testing Prototypes (Mechanical/Thermal/Fluidic) (IMAAAFAG), Rocket & Missile Propellants (IMAEALAF)
Keywords
Where Polito Rocket Team is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Torino
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Polito Rocket Team business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Institutional Funding: Politecnico di Torino provides institutional funding, contributing 28% of the team's budget annually.
- External Sponsorships: Financial, technical, and material support from external corporate sponsors including Sòphia High Tech, Siemens, Altium, Ansys, and others. Makes up approximately 72% of budget.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels10 records
Polito Rocket Team product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Polito Rocket Team designs, engineers, and builds experimental sounding rockets and rocket engines as a student-led research and competition program. Its core offerings are the Cavour sounding rocket, the VES mini-launcher project, and the Efesto pressure-fed liquid rocket engine, developed in-house by student members to compete in international rocketry competitions such as Spaceport America Cup, EuRoC, and IREC.
Product overview
Polito Rocket Team develops experimental sounding rockets and rocket propulsion systems for student rocketry competitions and research. The product portfolio centers on three rocket projects: Cavour (first-generation, 100mm diameter solid rocket for ~3km apogee), VES/Vittorio Emanuele II (advanced 130mm diameter solid rocket with supersonic capability up to 9,000m), and Efesto (pressure-fed liquid rocket engine). Supporting subsystems include the DaVinci flight computer, Marconi telemetry system, and custom ground station software. All rockets are designed for reusability with parachute recovery systems. The team competes internationally at Spaceport America Cup, European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC), and International Rocket Engineering Competition (IREC).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Cavour Rocket A solid-propellant sounding rocket for the Spaceport America Cup 30K and 10K categories, designed and built by the team to compete in international student rocketry competitions.
- VES Rocket A mini-launcher project enabling the construction of complete rockets, scaling ambitions from sounding rockets to orbital vehicles, intended for EuRoC-style competition launches.
- Efesto Liquid Rocket Engine A pressure-fed liquid rocket engine developed in-house, designed to power the team's upper-stage rockets as a propulsion system demonstrating liquid engine capability.
- DaVinci Flight Computer An SRAD (Student Researched and Developed) flight computer designed to fit on the team's rockets, providing onboard avionics capabilities.
- Marconi Telemetry Board An SRAD telemetry board providing in-flight data transmission from the rocket to the team's ground station.
- Ground Station An SRAD ground station that receives rocket telemetry data and supports mission tracking during launches.
Quantifiable outcome
- First Italian rocketry team to compete at Spaceport America Cup and win Dr. Gil Moore Award for Innovation
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Polito Rocket Team
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Polito Rocket Team technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Polito Rocket Team partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered main partner, core and media partner.
- Sòphia High Techmain partnerAS/EN9100 certified aerospace company focusing on design, development and production of metal alloy components using Additive Manufacturing (SLM) and CNC Machining. Supports Project Efesto with state-of-the-art equipment crucial for liquid rocket engine development.
- Siemensmain partnerOne of the world's largest industrial conglomerates providing a comprehensive suite of PLM software for product lifecycle management, critical for team activities from conception through production.
- Altiummain partnerWorld-leading electronic design software company providing professional licenses for Altium Designer through its Education program, enabling members to design advanced electronic circuits and PCBs for onboard rocket systems.
- Ansysmain partnerWorld reference in engineering simulation with over 50 years of experience, providing solutions used by market leaders to revolutionize design and predict product performance.
- EvoMisuremain partnerFounded in 2016, provides turnkey measurement solutions customized for aerodynamic applications including probes for velocity and pressure measurements and flexible rakes for wind tunnel testing.
- ESSSmain partnerLeading engineering solutions and scientific software company specializing in advanced simulations for aerospace, automotive, and energy industries with finite element analysis and CFD capabilities.
- BETA CAE Systemsmain partnerWorld leader in Engineering Simulation providing ANSA and META software suites along with technical support for advanced CAE automation tools.
- ASSOCAM Scuola Cameranamain partnerTurin-based training organization providing mechanical machining and components for team activities. Certified training agency of Unione Industriali and Camera di Commercio of Turin focused on technological training.
- Explorer Casesmain partnerLeading brand of indestructible waterproof cases manufactured by GT line, providing safe and practical transport solutions for professional equipment in extreme conditions.
- Mul2 Research Groupmain partnerResearch project within Politecnico di Torino's Dept. of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering devoted to advanced structural models with particular attention to multifield analysis and fluid-structure interactions. Provides 3D printers, materials, and technical support for additive manufacturing.
- MagicarcoreCarrozzeria Magicar of Fossano (CN) provides expertise in designing and crafting vehicle livery for the VES project, bringing quality and character to the rocket's exterior design.
- Astrospacemain partnerInnovative startup dedicated to sharing humanity's journey through space via social media, ORBIT platform, and information portal. Supports team by offering discounted platform access and promoting outreach activities.
- JEToPmedia partnerMedia partner providing coverage and visibility for team activities.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Polito Rocket Team competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- TU Munich WARR (Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt): German university rocketry team at TU Munich that develops sounding rockets and competes at EuRoC and Spaceport America Cup. Most directly comparable European student rocketry team with similar scale, propulsion ambition, and competition profile to PoliTo.
- MIT Rocket Team: US university rocketry team developing sounding rockets and competing at Spaceport America Cup and IREC. Directly comparable in scale, competition profile, and interdisciplinary engineering scope.
- ISAE-SUPAERO Space Section Rocketry: French aerospace university rocketry team developing experimental rockets including hybrid and liquid propulsion. Direct EuRoC competitor with similar technical scope and student-driven model.
- Purdue Space Program - Rocketry: Large US university rocketry team at Purdue developing advanced sounding rockets and competing at Spaceport America Cup. Similar size (hundreds of students), competition presence, and propulsion development goals.
- Stanford Student Space Initiative (SSI) - Rocketry: US university rocketry team developing high-power rockets including launch vehicles and hybrid propulsion. Comparable in scale, ambition, and competition presence (Spaceport America Cup), and represents the US counterpart model that inspired PoliTo's founding.
- EPFL Rocket Team (EPFL Rocketry): Swiss university rocketry team at EPFL that designs, builds, and launches sounding rockets and hybrid/liquid engines. Competitor at EuRoC and Spaceport America Cup with similar propulsion development trajectory and student-team structure.
- TUDelft DARE: Dutch university rocketry team at TU Delft that developed Stratos, a supersonic sounding rocket, and competes at EuRoC. Closest peer in liquid propulsion development trajectory and supersonic rocket ambitions among European student teams.
- University of Michigan Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP) Rocketry: US university rocket team that designs, builds, and launches high-powered rockets for Spaceport America Cup. Comparable student-run structure, scale, and competition participation.
Others
- SedS IT / Politecnico di Torino SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space): Global student space organization with national chapters including at Politecnico di Torino. While not a direct rocket-building peer, SEDS provides the broader student space ecosystem and pipeline of members that often feed teams like PoliTo Rocket Team.
- Sophia High Tech (Sòphia High Tech): AS/EN9100-certified Italian aerospace additive manufacturing company and main partner of PoliTo Rocket Team supporting Project Efesto. While not a direct competitor, it is a key enabling partner supplying SLM and CNC equipment, and represents the type of industrial relationship that bridges student teams into commercial aerospace supply chains.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Polito Rocket Team social profiles
Digital presencePolito Rocket Team compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Polito Rocket Team financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Polito Rocket Team leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles22 records
Polito Rocket Team funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Polito Rocket Team M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Polito Rocket Team
What does Polito Rocket Team do?
Polito Rocket Team designs, engineers, and builds experimental sounding rockets and rocket engines as a student-led research and competition program. Its core offerings are the Cavour sounding rocket, the VES mini-launcher project, and the Efesto pressure-fed liquid rocket engine, developed in-house by student members to compete in international rocketry competitions such as Spaceport America Cup, EuRoC, and IREC.
Is Polito Rocket Team a public or private company?
Polito Rocket Team is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Polito Rocket Team founded?
Polito Rocket Team was founded in 2021.
Where is Polito Rocket Team based?
Polito Rocket Team is headquartered in Torino, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does Polito Rocket Team make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Institutional Funding is the primary driver. The others are external Sponsorships.
Who are Polito Rocket Team's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are TU Munich WARR (Wissenschaftliche Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Raketentechnik und Raumfahrt), MIT Rocket Team, ISAE-SUPAERO Space Section Rocketry, Purdue Space Program - Rocketry, Stanford Student Space Initiative (SSI) - Rocketry, EPFL Rocket Team (EPFL Rocketry), TUDelft DARE and University of Michigan Multidisciplinary Design Program (MDP) Rocketry. Others are SedS IT / Politecnico di Torino SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space) and Sophia High Tech (Sòphia High Tech).
Does Polito Rocket Team have an API?
No public API is recorded for Polito Rocket Team.
What industry is Polito Rocket Team in?
Polito Rocket Team's product category is Experimental Rocketry. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMABACAA, Launch Vehicles & Orbital Rockets, with a secondary code of IMABADAE, Rocket Engines (Liquid). Its NAICS code is 336415 and its SIC code is 3760.