North Carolina Esports Academy

What North Carolina Esports Academy does

North Carolina Esports Academy also runs signature events such as the annual NC Esports Cup tournament (co-hosted with the North Carolina Esports Alliance) and the NC Esports Awards, and operates Carolina Storm as a wholly owned professional esports sub-brand signing top graduates of its youth pipeline. Revenue is generated across seven distinct streams — camps, parties, group events, competitive teams, tournaments, facility rentals, and (from 2026) monthly online subscriptions — supplemented by apparel-store jersey sales and off-site esports services. Go-to-market relies on community-led events, word-of-mouth, content marketing through a Feedspot-ranked blog, organic social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn), and earned media via the co-founders' Forbes 30 Under 30 and Triangle Business Journal 40 Under 40 recognition. Distribution is anchored by the Cary physical facility and the Sawyer for Business self-serve booking platform, with off-site services extending reach to schools, community organizations, and corporate groups. The organization maintains collegiate pathway partnerships with Wake Tech Community College, NC State, UNC, and William Peace University, and is one of three official host sites for the AEA All American Nationals tournament.

Name

North Carolina Esports Academy

Legal name

CVS Gamings Center 1 LLC DBA triangle Esports

Website

https://ncesportsacademy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

North Carolina Esports Academy is a Cary, NC-based youth development organization founded in 2022 that combines STEM education, competitive esports, and birthday/event hosting at a 36-PC gaming facility, serving K-12 families, aspiring competitive youth gamers, and local schools and community groups in the Triangle region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Esports & STEM Education Center

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community/Youth Esports Centers (Recreation Centers, Nonprofit Programs) (MPAFALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Amateur/Grassroots Esports Leagues & Community Tournaments (MPAFADAL), Esports & Competitive Gaming Programs (EDALAIAO), Team Training Facilities & Bootcamps (Pro/Am Team Houses, Practice Centers) (MPAFALAG)

Keywords

• Youth esports training
• STEM gaming camps
• Competitive youth gaming
• Birthday party gaming center
• Educational gaming programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. STEM Camps: Weekly gaming camps offered in 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day formats for 1st–8th graders. Camps run 8AM–3:30PM with optional late pickup until 5PM. Includes 3 hours of STEM education, 75 minutes outdoor recess, freeplay, and lunch options from nearby restaurants. Revenue from per-child camp fees.
2. Birthday Parties: Three party packages (Navy $425, Gold $600, Platinum $750) each including gaming time, dedicated party host, pizzas, drinks, and guest gifts. All-inclusive zero-stress hosting model.
3. Group Events: Per-person hourly gaming rates ($20/1hr, $35/2hrs, $45/3hrs, $62/5hrs) with a $150 minimum booking requirement. Includes access to Fortnite, Minecraft, Among Us, Roblox, Mario Kart, Fall Guys, and other games upon request.
4. Competitive Youth Teams: Fortnite competitive league at $359 per player including coaching, team workouts, practices, and competitions in the Amateur Esports Association league. Competitions-only option available at $175. Players must purchase a team jersey from the apparel store.
5. NC Youth Esports Online League: Online esports league launching Fall 2026 with four tiered memberships (Beginner $15/mo, Standard $25/mo, All-in $49/mo, Legend $99/mo). Includes Discord access, monthly tournaments, and group training sessions. Top players earn invites to competitive teams.
6. Facility Rentals: Training room rental at $25/hour plus per-person hourly rates. Full facility rentals available by contacting the organization directly. Off-site esports services offered at any venue.
7. Open Tournaments: Individual tournament entries at $30 per player per tournament featuring different game modes (e.g., Fortnite). Winners receive prizes such as $100 VISA gift cards and qualifying spots for Amateur Esports Association All American Nationals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

North Carolina Esports Academy operates a 36-PC brick-and-mortar youth gaming and esports center in Cary, NC, offering STEM-integrated day camps (1-day, 3-day, 5-day), competitive youth esports teams in the Amateur Esports Association league, hosted birthday party packages, group gaming events, facility rentals, and a tiered online youth esports league (NC Youth Esports). Programs combine hands-on coding (Minecraft, Roblox Studio, Scratch, CodeCombat) with coached competitive play, mandatory wellness breaks, and pathways to statewide and national AEA tournaments.

Product overview

North Carolina Esports Academy operates as a brick-and-mortar youth development organization in Cary, NC, offering a portfolio of educational gaming programs centered around esports and STEM education. The core offering consists of STEM Trackout and Day Camps (coding, game design, esports training) for grades 1-8, alongside competitive youth teams participating in the Amateur Esports Association league. Additional services include birthday party packages (three tiers), group event bookings at the 36-PC gaming facility, and facility rentals. The organization runs signature events including the NC Esports Cup (annual statewide tournament) and NC Esports Awards ceremony. Carolina Storm serves as its professional esports sub-brand, identifying and developing top youth talent for national competitions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Carolina Storm: Professional esports organization that signs top gamers from North Carolina Esports Academy's youth teams, competing in various game titles including Fortnite and Rocket League.

Products and services

• STEM Trackout and Day Camps Weekly gaming camps offered in 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day formats for children in grades 1–8. Camps run 8AM–3:30PM with optional late pickup until 5PM and combine 3 hours of STEM education (Minecraft Java Edition Redstone circuitry, Roblox Studio, Scratch, CodeCombat), 75 minutes of daily outdoor recess, esports training, freeplay, and lunch options from nearby restaurants. Minecraft Java account rental available at $3/day and controller lending at $2/day.
• Birthday Party Packages

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 podium spots in 5 seasons of Amateur Esports Association league competitions
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Amateur Esports Association (AEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2026AEA is the competitive league framework within which NC Esports Academy's teams compete. Winners of NC Esports Cup earn spots in the AEA All American Nationals. NC Esports Academy is one of three official host locations for the AEA All American Nationals tournament. The AEA league provides structured competition, rankings, and national event access for youth players.
• Surity SelectminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 August 2025Surity Select is the presenting sponsor of the NC Esports Cup 2027 event. As presenting sponsor, Surity Select's branding appears on event materials and the event page, providing marketing visibility in exchange for association with the youth esports event.
• Carolina StormcoreOthers · 22 July 2025Carolina Storm is North Carolina Esports Academy's own professional esports organization. It signs top gamers from the Academy's youth teams to compete at the national/international level across multiple game titles. Currently focused on Rocket League competitive team. Caleb Smith serves as team manager.
• North Carolina Esports AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2025North Carolina Esports Alliance is a cohost of the NC Esports Cup event. As a cohost, the Alliance works alongside North Carolina Esports Academy to organize and promote the first annual statewide youth esports tournament, combining their respective networks and resources for maximum impact.
• Blackpoint StudiosminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 April 2025Blackpoint Studios, a Fayetteville-based game design studio, contracted North Carolina Esports Academy to assist with their Fortnite tournament. NC Esports Academy served as a vendor and had youth players compete—ending up on the winning team. Blackpoint built a custom Fortnite map using Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) replicating Fort Bragg.
• University of North Carolina (UNC)minorOthers · 19 January 2024UNC donated gaming equipment to North Carolina Esports Academy as part of their Lenovo partnership upgrade. UNC was upgrading their own gaming setups and chose to donate the retired equipment to NC Esports Academy, as reported in UNC's IT blog.
• Wake Tech Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Wake Tech Community College is listed as a local collegiate esports partner of North Carolina Esports Academy. Students are referred to Wake Tech's esports program as a collegiate pathway option for youth players. Wake Tech has its own esports team competing in the Amateur Esports Association league.
• NC State UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NC State University is listed as a local collegiate esports partner of North Carolina Esports Academy. Students are referred to NC State's esports program as a collegiate pathway option. NC State hosted the collegiate finals for League of Legends and Valorant in partnership with the Riot Scholastic Association of America.
• William Peace UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024William Peace University is listed as a local collegiate esports partner of North Carolina Esports Academy. The university offers an Esports and Gaming Administration BA program, providing a clear educational and career pathway for youth esports players.
• Ultimate Endgamers League (UEL)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ultimate Endgamers League launched a new hub in Raleigh, North Carolina with North Carolina Esports Academy as the local host. This partnership expands competitive esports access for local youth through UEL's league framework.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• iD Tech: Established national operator of STEM and tech camps for kids and teens, including Minecraft, Roblox, and game design tracks. Comparable in STEM-camp + recreation mix though much larger in scale and breadth.
• ggCircuit: Provides LAN center management software used by hundreds of gaming centers worldwide. Comparable as infrastructure provider to the same small/mid-market youth gaming facility niche NC Esports Academy operates in.

Direct peers

• Game Gym: Youth gaming and esports center offering camps, leagues, and party packages at physical venues with curated PC gaming hardware. Directly comparable in target market (families and youth players) and program mix.
• FTW Esports: Youth esports training organization running structured teams, leagues, and competitive programs in physical centers. Comparable in mission (character-driven youth development via esports) and target customer (parents of school-age players).
• N3rd Street Gamers: Operates a network of youth-focused esports and gaming centers with structured leagues, parties, and camps. Closest direct comparison in terms of physical youth esports centers and team-based programming.
• Helix Esports: Operates dedicated youth esports centers with PC gaming stations, private rooms, and event hosting. Closely comparable in facility format and birthday/event revenue model.
• Black Rocket Productions: Provides youth tech and esports camps, including game design and competitive gaming curricula delivered through partner locations. Comparable in the educational-gaming camp product line and K12 target audience.
• Vanta Sports: Multi-sport youth training facility blending traditional athletics and esports. Comparable in positioning gaming as a structured youth development activity with health/wellness framing.
• Ultimate Endgamers League (UEL): Competitive youth esports league platform that recently launched a Raleigh hub hosted by NC Esports Academy. Comparable as a structured competitive league partner/platform competing for youth tournament mindshare.

Others

• Amateur Esports Association (AEA): National youth competitive esports league in which NC Esports Academy teams compete. Comparable as an ecosystem participant (one of three official AEA All American Nationals host locations) rather than a competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ncesportsacademy
• Facebookfacebook.com/ncesportsacademy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncesportsacademy
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncesportsacademy
• TikToktiktok.com/@ncesportsacademy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 North Carolina Esports Academy