Stuttgart Surge
Stuttgart Surge is a professional American football franchise in Stuttgart, Germany, competing in the European League of Football, serving fans through live games, merchandise, sponsorships, and youth development programs under the operating entity American Football Club Stuttgart GmbH.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersStuttgart, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Stuttgart Surge does
Stuttgart Surge is a professional American football franchise headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, operating under the legal entity American Football Club Stuttgart GmbH (VAT ID DE340963672, registered Amtsgericht Stuttgart HRB 777459). Founded in 2020 as one of eight founding franchises of the European League of Football (ELF), the club fields a competitive roster playing home games at the GAZi-Stadion auf der Waldau in Stuttgart-Degerloch, with attendance of approximately 3,200-3,740 fans per match. The franchise is managed by CEO Suni Ihsan Musa (Geschäftsführer) and until November 2025 was coached by Jordan Neuman, who led the team to the 2023 ELF Championship runner-up finish and the 2025 European Championship title.
The club monetizes through four primary revenue streams: ticket sales (single, group, family, and wheelchair-accessible) processed via Ticketmaster; merchandise sold through a Shopify-powered webshop operated by LEOS Sportmarketing, with apparel priced from €19.99 to €109.99; sponsorship and partnership revenue from a portfolio of 30+ predominantly local and regional corporate sponsors; and recurring Fördermitgliedschaft contributions via the supporting membership entity Surge e.V., which funds youth American football and cheerleading programs. Complementary offerings include the Surge Academy school outreach program, annual open tryouts (100+ participants in 2025), the Surge Insights podcast, and a gameday experience featuring a Power Party starting 3.5 hours before kickoff.
Underlying technology is conventional web infrastructure (WordPress on Mittwald hosting, Google Analytics, WordPress Statistics) with no proprietary AI or platform IP. The firm is GDPR/DSGVO/CCPA compliant, integrates nine payment methods (PayPal, Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, Sofortüberweisung, giropay, Mastercard, VISA), and uses Rapidmail for newsletter communications. The franchise has no disclosed venture or private equity backing, no subsidiaries, and no published revenue figures. On November 21, 2025, American Football Club Stuttgart GmbH filed for bankruptcy (Insolvenzantrag) citing structural conditions in European American football that provided little planning security and lacked future prospects; Head Coach Jordan Neuman departed on November 24, 2025.
Stuttgart Surge firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Stuttgart Surge
- Legal name
- American Football Club Stuttgart GmbH
- Website
- https://stuttgartsurge.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Closed
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Stuttgart Surge is a professional American football franchise in Stuttgart, Germany, competing in the European League of Football, serving fans through live games, merchandise, sponsorships, and youth development programs under the operating entity American Football Club Stuttgart GmbH.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Stuttgart Surge industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Sports Franchise
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- American Football Leagues (MPAKAAAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs) (MPAKALAE)
Keywords
Where Stuttgart Surge is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stuttgart
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Stuttgart Surge business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Ticket Sales: Single game and group tickets sold through Ticketmaster partner platform, with family tickets and wheelchair-accessible tickets also available.
- Merchandise Sales: Online merchandise store (stuttgart-surge.shop) powered by LEOS Sportmarketing, selling apparel including shirts, hoodies, jackets, kids items, teamwear, and accessories.
- Sponsorship and Partnerships: Revenue from corporate sponsors and partners who support the franchise in exchange for brand visibility and marketing integration.
- Membership (Surge e.V.): Fördermitgliedschaft (supporting membership) in the Surge e.V. club that supports youth sports activities in American football and cheerleading.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Bomber Jackets starting at €89.99-€109.99 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Stuttgart Surge product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Stuttgart Surge is a professional American football franchise competing in the European League of Football (ELF) and a founding member of the league. Its commercial offerings include live gameday entertainment, season and single-match tickets sold via Ticketmaster, branded merchandise sold through a Shopify-based e-commerce webshop, sponsorship and partnership packages, and the Surge e.V. supporting membership program that funds youth American football and cheerleading. The franchise filed for bankruptcy on November 21, 2025.
Product overview
Stuttgart Surge is a professional American Football team competing in the European League of Football (ELF). The organization operates as a single-product sports franchise with multiple complementary service offerings. The core product is the professional football team, supported by a Fan Shop (Shopify-based e-commerce), ticket sales through Ticketmaster, and the Surge Insights podcast. Additional offerings include the Gameday Experience (matchday entertainment), School Program/Academy (youth development), Player Tryouts (talent identification), and Membership (Surge e.V. for supporter engagement). The organization filed for bankruptcy on November 21, 2025, and Head Coach Jordan Neuman departed the franchise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Stuttgart Surge
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Stuttgart Surge technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
Stuttgart Surge partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
35 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ProstuckcorePresenting sponsor of the 2025 Tryout event, supporting talent identification and recruitment for the Surge roster.
- TicketmastercoreOfficial ticketing partner for single game tickets, group tickets, family tickets, and wheelchair-accessible tickets.
- LEOS SportmarketingcorePowers the official Stuttgart Surge webshop, handling merchandise sales and fulfillment.
- GaziminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- StromkreisminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- SWSminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- ProPositionminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- TopsportsminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- BiteminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- LeosminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- HydraidminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- TruetapeminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- RoadjetminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- FlaigminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- RZRminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- ClassicRockCafeminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- CryopointminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- DaPepponeminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- GTSminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- SchwabenbraeuminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- SporlasticminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- NettminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- KemmnerminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- FrieseminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- BucherminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- FEelektrominorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- SelvaNegraminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- EgeminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- EventkommminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- KrombholzminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- Reiner&ZahnerminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- RSMminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- TopregalminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- GiengerminorSponsor partner featured on the website.
- European League of FootballcoreThe league in which Stuttgart Surge competes as a founding team. Surge won the 2025 ELF Championship.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Stuttgart Surge competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Hamburg Sea Devils: Hamburg-based American football franchise competing in the European League of Football. Directly comparable as a fellow ELF franchise with identical league structure, fan model, and revenue mix to Stuttgart Surge.
- Frankfurt Galaxy: Frankfurt-based American football franchise in the European League of Football. Direct peer competing in the same ELF league with the same ticket, merchandise, sponsorship, and membership revenue model.
- Munich Ravens: Munich-based American football franchise in the European League of Football. Direct peer operating the same franchise model in a different German metropolitan market with identical revenue streams.
- Paris Musketeers: Paris-based American football franchise in the European League of Football. Direct peer in the same league competing for the same championship, though in a different European market.
- Rhein Fire (Cologne): German American football franchise competing in the European League of Football, based in Cologne. Directly comparable as a fellow ELF franchise operating in the same German market with the same sport, league, and revenue model (tickets, merch, sponsorship).
- Vienna Vikings: Austrian American football franchise competing in the European League of Football. Direct peer in the same league, based in a neighboring German-speaking market with comparable fan economics and commercial model.
- Berlin Thunder: Berlin-based American football franchise competing in the European League of Football. Direct peer in the same league, with comparable ticketing, merchandise, and sponsorship operations targeting German fans.
- Tirol Raiders: Austrian American football franchise in the European League of Football. Direct peer operating the same franchise model across the DACH region with similar attendance and sponsorship dynamics.
Others
- European League of Football (ELF): The league operator itself; not a competitor but the structural counterpart whose economics directly determine franchise-level outcomes. The bankruptcy filing explicitly cited structural conditions in the ELF as a key factor.
Broad incumbents
- NFL (National Football League): The dominant global American football league. While not a direct competitor in the European market, the NFL sets the broader audience ceiling for the sport and is the aspirational template for ELF franchises' commercialization and brand-building.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Stuttgart Surge social profiles
Digital presenceStuttgart Surge compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Stuttgart Surge financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Stuttgart Surge leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Stuttgart Surge funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Stuttgart Surge 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 Stuttgart Surge
What does Stuttgart Surge do?
Stuttgart Surge is a professional American football franchise competing in the European League of Football (ELF) and a founding member of the league. Its commercial offerings include live gameday entertainment, season and single-match tickets sold via Ticketmaster, branded merchandise sold through a Shopify-based e-commerce webshop, sponsorship and partnership packages, and the Surge e.V. supporting membership program that funds youth American football and cheerleading. The franchise filed for bankruptcy on November 21, 2025.
Is Stuttgart Surge a public or private company?
Stuttgart Surge is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently closed.
When was Stuttgart Surge founded?
Stuttgart Surge was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Stuttgart Surge based?
Stuttgart Surge is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Stuttgart Surge make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are merchandise Sales, sponsorship and Partnerships and membership (Surge e.V.).
Who are Stuttgart Surge's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Hamburg Sea Devils, Frankfurt Galaxy, Munich Ravens, Paris Musketeers, Rhein Fire (Cologne), Vienna Vikings, Berlin Thunder and Tirol Raiders. European League of Football (ELF) is listed as an others. NFL (National Football League) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Stuttgart Surge have an API?
No public API is recorded for Stuttgart Surge.
What industry is Stuttgart Surge in?
Stuttgart Surge's product category is Professional Sports Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAAAB, American Football Leagues, with a secondary code of MPAKALAE, Licensing, Merchandising & Co-Branded Products (Sponsored Merchandise, Collabs). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7997.