Fenworks

What Fenworks does

Fenworks (formerly the Minnesota Varsity League, or MNVL) is a privately held, Nevada-incorporated company headquartered in Grand Forks, North Dakota, founded in 2020. The company operates organized scholastic esports, drone racing, and golf simulator leagues for U.S. middle and high schools, with directly operated activity across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, and platform or programming support for affiliated leagues in Washington, Michigan, Iowa, and Kansas via the Interstate Scholastic Esports Alliance.

Fenworks' core technology is a competition platform that bundles league management, scheduling, officiating, skill-based matchmaking, season leaderboards, and state championship event support. On top of this platform sit three product verticals: (1) a Scholastic Esports League offering nine school-appropriate game titles including Rocket League, Marvel Rivals, League of Legends, VALORANT, Fortnite, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart, Chess, and Minecraft Bedwars; (2) Drone Racing with an FAA Part 107 commercial pilot license preparation curriculum; and (3) a Golf Simulator League supporting Trackman, GSPro, Foresight, Garmin, and Rapsodo simulators. Supporting modules include a Broadcasting Academy for student production skills, a Collegiate Esports League feeder pathway, and a STEM Grants resource program. The platform is COPPA and FERPA compliant.

The business model is recurring school program licensing plus platform and programming support to partner leagues. Schools subscribe to bundle access to the competition platform, curriculum, coaching, officiating, and tournament pathways; hardware costs for gaming setups run approximately $1,000 (basic) to $2,500 (advanced). Go-to-market is direct sales to schools combined with state-association partnerships (MSHSL, SDHSAA, NDHSAA) and event-led demand generation through Esports Development Clinics. Customer segments include schools (primary economic buyer), students (grades 4-12), parents, educators/administrators, and a 20+ member collegiate partner network that acts as a recruitment channel and scholarship funnels. As of the most recent disclosed season, the platform served more than 320 schools and 3,000+ students across the five directly operated states.

Name

Fenworks

Legal name

Fenworks, Inc.

Website

https://fenworks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fenworks (formerly MNVL) operates scholastic esports, drone racing, and golf simulator leagues for middle and high schools across five U.S. states. It delivers a competition platform, curriculum, officiating, and state championship pathways to 320+ schools and 3,000+ students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Scholastic Esports League Management

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Spectator Sports (71121), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Collegiate/Scholastic Esports Programs & Leagues (MPAFADAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Esports & Competitive Gaming Programs (EDALAIAO), Collegiate & Scholastic Esports Tournaments (MPAGANAE), Collegiate Esports Leagues & Tournaments (MPAKANAG)

Keywords

• Scholastic esports leagues
• Drone racing programs
• Competition management platform
• High school STEM leagues
• Golf simulator leagues

Headquarters

HQ city

Grand Forks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. School Program Licensing: Fenworks partners with schools to provide esports, drone racing, and golf simulator programs as extracurricular activities. Schools pay for access to the competition platform, coaching, curriculum, scheduling, and officiating services.
2. Platform and Programming Support: Provides platform and programming support to leagues in Washington (WSSEA), Michigan (MISEF), Iowa (IAHSEA), and Kansas (KSSE), supporting collegiate competition through NAECAD, and serving as a member of the Interstate Scholastic Esports Alliance (ISEA).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fenworks operates competitive scholastic leagues — esports (nine game titles), drone racing (with FAA Part 107 prep curriculum), and golf simulator — for middle and high schools in five Upper Midwest states, delivered via the Fenworks Competition Platform. Schools license access to the platform, curriculum, scheduling, officiating, and broadcasting support, with programs culminating in state and regional championship tournaments and pathways to collegiate esports recruitment.

Product overview

Fenworks operates a multi-program platform for high school and collegiate competitive activities. The core offerings include Scholastic Esports League (competitive gaming across 9 titles with state championships), Drone Racing (competitive UAS racing with FAA Part 107 prep curriculum), Golf Simulator League (asynchronous competitive golf across multiple simulator platforms), and Broadcasting Academy (live production training). Supporting modules include Collegiate Esports League for recruitment pathways, STEM Grants resources, and the Fenworks Competition Platform for match management and leaderboards. The company serves schools across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, with 320 schools and 3,000+ students competing last season.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholastic Esports League Competitive esports leagues for middle and high school students featuring nine school-appropriate game titles, with state-level competition across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming culminating in state championship tournaments.
• Drone Racing Program Competitive drone racing programs for students with an integrated FAA Part 107 commercial drone pilot prep curriculum, featuring regional tournaments and access to STEM education and aerial robotics.
• Golf Simulator League Asynchronous competitive golf league for high school students supporting Trackman, Foresight, Garmin, Rapsodo, and GSPro-compatible simulators, with weekly online play and season leaderboard tracking culminating in a hybrid regional Finals Tournament.
• Fenworks Competition Platform Online platform powering competition management, scheduling, officiating, skill-based matchmaking, score reporting, season leaderboards, and team management for Fenworks-run scholastic esports, drone racing, and golf simulator leagues.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students in scholastic esports attended school 7.34 more days on average than non-participants, with a 33.5% lower absence rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration11 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and secondary.

• Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026MSHSL Board approved a presenting partnership model for esports that will allow Fenworks to continue leading the program while the league hosts a state championship event. Fenworks operates as the league partner and officiating provider for the 2026-27 Minnesota pilot season.
• Nintendo of AmericaflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 August 2025Nintendo partnered with Interstate Scholastic Esports Alliance (ISEA), which includes Fenworks as a member. Nintendo provides Switch consoles at discount, free download codes for games, and Nintendo Switch Online memberships for school tournaments reaching 80,000+ students across 23 states.
• University of North DakotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUND esports program offers competitive varsity gaming, recreational gaming, and bachelor's degree in esports. UND offers scholarships and recruits Fenworks players. UND's academic program provides health and wellness content for esports players.
• St. Cloud State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSt. Cloud State University has a rapidly growing inclusive esports community with both competitive and casual gaming opportunities. Hosts Minnesota State Esports Tournament at St. Cloud State University on March 20-21, 2027.
• Concordia University St. PaulsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDivision 2 university with successful esports program. Their Valorant team has been nationally ranked as high as #26, with several teams claiming conference championships. Has dedicated space with 29 high-end PCs with Logitech peripherals.
• South Dakota State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier land-grant university that turns ambition into action, offering pathways for Fenworks players to continue competitive gaming while pursuing academic programs.
• Eastern Wyoming CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAt EWC student success is the first priority. They provide opportunities for students to achieve goals through esports in Fortnite and League of Legends.
• University of Wisconsin Eau ClairesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHands-on academics and strong support in close-knit community environment. Competitive titles include Valorant, Overwatch, League of Legends, Super Smash Bros, Marvel Rivals, and Splatoon.
• Bethany Lutheran CollegesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAt the forefront of collegiate esports in the Midwest, first and premiere collegiate esports program in Minnesota with multiple national tournament appearances.
• SDN CommunicationscoreTechnology or IntegrationSDN Communications delivers ultra-reliable, high-speed connectivity through a 50,000-mile fiber network across South Dakota. Supports high school esports and offers business connectivity, managed services, and data centers.
• Broadband Association of North Dakota (BAND)secondaryTechnology or IntegrationRepresents broadband service providers dedicated to expanding high-speed internet access across North Dakota, connecting students with faster internet for optimal esports performance.
• ISight Drone ServicessecondaryTechnology or IntegrationProvides precision and reliability in aerial data collection serving industries including construction, solar, insurance, energy, agriculture, government, and more.
• MidcocoreTechnology or IntegrationFiber internet provider powering esports with low ping, no data caps, 24/7 support, and gigabit speeds for competitive gaming and streaming.
• MicrosoftsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMicrosoft partners with Fenworks to empower every person and organization to achieve more through technology. Custom and contract manufacturing solutions available.
• US Coast GuardsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerOne of America's six armed forces and only military branch in the Department of Homeland Security. Offers career pathways for Fenworks students.
• ND National GuardsecondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerNorth Dakota Army National Guard dedicated to student success, providing opportunities for students to serve and develop skills.
• EMAX USAsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationProminent manufacturer and distributor of FPV (First Person View) racing drones, brushless motors, servos, and accessories, powering the world for over 40 years.
• South Dakota Public Broadcasting (SDPB)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerStreamed Dakota Valley esports matches during SDHSAA Esports State Tournament. Provided broadcasting foundation for students like Eli Honner.
• Golden West TelecommunicationssecondaryTechnology or IntegrationServing western South Dakota with fiber internet. Over 80% of customers upgraded to fiber. Sponsor of Hot Springs esports team.
• West River TelecomsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationCovers parts of Corson, Walworth and Dewey counties in northern South Dakota and several counties in North Dakota. Offers upload/download speeds up to 10 Gig per second.
• Mayville State UniversitysecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMayville State's Comet Esports has offered scholarships to a number of Fenworks state champions.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PlayVS: PlayVS is the largest scholastic esports league operator in North America, partnering directly with high schools and state associations to run competitive gaming seasons. It is the most direct competitor to Fenworks' core scholastic esports product.
• NASEF (North American Scholastic Esports Federation): NASEF operates scholastic esports programs across North America with a focus on STEAM-integrated competition and career pathways. It competes with Fenworks for school district partnerships and state association relationships.
• Generation Esports: Generation Esports runs scholastic and collegiate esports leagues with a Midwest U.S. footprint similar to Fenworks. It competes on school licensing, game title selection, and championship programming.
• High School Esports League (HSEL): HSEL is a long-running scholastic esports league operator offering competitive seasons across multiple game titles. It is directly comparable to Fenworks on product offering, target customer (high schools), and league-management business model.
• MultiGP: MultiGP is the world's largest drone racing league and community, running competitive FPV drone events globally. It is a direct peer to Fenworks' drone racing program and competes for school drone-racing partnerships and tournament participants.
• Interscholastic Esports Federation (IEF): IEF operates scholastic esports leagues and tournaments across U.S. high schools. It is comparable to Fenworks in target customer, league structure, and emphasis on competitive gaming as an extracurricular activity.

Broad incumbents

• Drone Racing League (DRL): DRL is a professional drone racing league and media company, much larger than Fenworks' school-focused drone racing program. It is comparable on the underlying drone-racing sport but operates as a professional/entertainment property rather than a scholastic platform.

Others

• NAECAD: NAECAD is the North America Electronic Competitions Association for Diversity, an ecosystem partner that Fenworks supports for collegiate competition. It is a thematic peer as both organizations operate in the scholastic/collegiate esports ecosystem, though NAECAD functions more as an umbrella association than a competing league operator.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST is the leading K-12 STEM robotics competition organization. It is comparable to Fenworks as an adjacent school-based STEM competition provider competing for the same extracurricular budget dollars and student engagement mindshare.

Emerging players

• Vanta Esports / Game Galaxy: Emerging scholastic gaming and esports platforms offer school-branded competition apps and leagues. They are comparable as emerging competitors in the school esports platform space, with overlap on competitive league features and target customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@fenworksofficial
• TikToktiktok.com/@mnvarsityleague
• Xx.com/fenworks
• Facebookfacebook.com/fenworksofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fenworks

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

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 Fenworks