Iowa Demon Hawks

What Iowa Demon Hawks does

Iowa Demon Hawks is a privately-held professional soccer organization headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, operating men's and women's teams across indoor (Major Arena Soccer League 2 and the new MASL-W women's division) and outdoor (National Premier Soccer League, Gateway Division) competitions. Founded in 2017 as Des Moines United FC and rebranded for the 2021-22 season, the club plays MASL2 regular-season matches at Buccaneer Arena in Urbandale and hosts premium international exhibition games at HyVee Hall in downtown Des Moines, including fixtures against the Brazilian, Mexican, and USA national mini-football teams. The organization is owned and led by Darwin Salas, who also owns La Q Buena radio station (Iowa's largest Latino radio station) and Salas Enterprises, giving the club a distinctive community-rooted identity in the Des Moines Latino market.

The business monetizes through five primary streams: per-match ticket sales via the HappsNow platform and on-site box offices, season-pass subscriptions, direct-to-consumer merchandise through the TeamLocker/SquadLocker online store, multi-tier corporate sponsorship packages sold direct by ownership, and registration fees from the Soccer Academy youth development program. Ancillary revenue comes from the Hawks 7egion Squad fan membership and community clinics delivered through partnerships with the Iowa Foundation, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Des Moines Public Schools. The underlying technology stack is conventional — a Wix-hosted website, third-party ticketing and e-commerce platforms, Instagram and Facebook for fan engagement, and the founder's radio station for community distribution — with no proprietary software or AI systems disclosed.

Commercially, the club is in an aggressive expansion phase: the men's team won the 2023-24 MASL2 National Championship with a 15-0 record and an MASL-record 186 goals, the women's team won the 2026 MASL-W National Championship in its second season, and the men's side holds three consecutive NPSL Gateway Division titles. The organization has received an invitation to the MASL top division, expected to be exercised within two years, and has built a flagship partnership with the Brazilian National Mini Football Team that positions Iowa as a US training base. Head coach Thiago Coutinho was recruited from Brazil's national mini-football staff, and five roster players have been selected to the Brazilian national team, underscoring the club's ambition to operate as more than a regional second-division side.

Name

Iowa Demon Hawks

Legal name

Iowa Demon Hawks

Website

https://iowademonhawks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Iowa Demon Hawks is a privately-held professional soccer organization based in Des Moines, Iowa, operating men's and women's teams in MASL2, MASL-W, and NPSL leagues, monetizing via tickets, season passes, sponsorships, merchandise, and a youth Soccer Academy, and serving regional fans plus the Des Moines Latino community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Soccer Team / Sports Entertainment

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Amateur & Grassroots Tournament Organizers (MPAKADAH)

Keywords

• Professional indoor soccer
• Professional outdoor soccer
• Youth soccer academy
• Team merchandise sales
• Sports sponsorship packages

Headquarters

HQ city

Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from individual match tickets sold via HappsNow platform and at HyVee Hall and Buccaneer Arena box offices for exhibition games, league matches, and championship events.
2. Season Passes: Season ticket packages offering access to all home games throughout the regular season.
3. Merchandise Sales: Official team merchandise sold through the TeamLocker/SquadLocker online store including apparel and fan gear.
4. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship packages offering brand visibility, event integration, and partnership benefits at various levels.
5. Soccer Academy: Youth soccer development programs with registration fees for coaching and training sessions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Iowa Demon Hawks is a professional soccer organization that fields men's teams in MASL2 (Major Arena Soccer League 2) and NPSL (National Premier Soccer League), and a women's team in MASL-W. The organization sells live-event tickets, season passes, branded merchandise, corporate sponsorship packages, fan membership through the Hawks 7egion Squad, and youth development programs through the Soccer Academy.

Product overview

Iowa Demon Hawks is a multi-faceted sports organization offering professional soccer competition and community-focused programs. The core offering is the professional soccer team competing in MASL2 and NPSL leagues, complemented by a Soccer Academy for youth development and the Hawks 7egion Squad fan membership program. The organization also operates ticket sales and merchandise through third-party platforms, serving both entertainment and community development missions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Iowa Demon Hawks Professional Men's Soccer Team Professional men's indoor and outdoor soccer team competing in the Major Arena Soccer League 2 (MASL2) and National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). The men's team won the MASL2 National Championship in the 2023-24 season with a 15-0 undefeated record and a record-breaking 186-goal tally, and has won three consecutive NPSL Gateway Division titles.
• Iowa Demon Hawks Women's Professional Soccer Team Iowa's first professional women's soccer team competing in the MASL-W league. The women's team won the 2026 MASL-W National Championship in only its second season, completing an undefeated season with 138 goals across 13 matches.
• Soccer Academy Youth soccer development and training academy with online registration. Provides winter and summer clinics and free community clinics at Des Moines Public Schools in partnership with the Iowa Foundation and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, addressing the cost barriers of traditional travel soccer.
• Hawks 7egion Squad Fan Membership Fan membership program where fans represent the '7th player' on the team, receiving unique experiences, special perks, and closer connection to team activities both on and off the field.
• Match Ticket Sales Ticketed access to home games, double-header events, and international exhibition matches distributed online via HappsNow and at the Buccaneer Arena and HyVee Hall box offices, including season passes for full-season entry.
• Official Team Merchandise Store Official Iowa Demon Hawks branded apparel and fan merchandise sold through the TeamLocker/SquadLocker online store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Won MASL2 National Championship with 15-0 undefeated record
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• MASL-W (Major Arena Soccer League - Women's)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Iowa Demon Hawks launched a women's team in the newly created MASL-W league in 2025. The women's team won the 2026 National Championship in only their second season, completing an undefeated season with 138 goals across 13 matches.
• Brazilian National Mini Football TeamflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2024Historic partnership hosting international exhibition games in Des Moines. Iowa serves as the home base for Brazil's national team training for Mini Football World Cup and Copa América. Five Iowa Demon Hawks players were selected to play for the Brazilian national team.
• Mexican National TeamflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2024Exhibition match opponent as part of the international friendlies series at HyVee Hall in Des Moines on September 20.
• Team USAflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2024Exhibition match opponent as part of the international friendlies series at HyVee Hall in Des Moines on October 5.
• Major Arena Soccer League 2 (MASL2)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Iowa Demon Hawks compete in MASL2, the second division of the Major Arena Soccer League. The team won the MASL2 National Championship in their first season in the division, with a 15-0 record and record-breaking 184-186 goals.
• National Premier Soccer League (NPSL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe team competes in outdoor NPSL alongside MASL2 indoor competition. They have won the Gateway Division title for three consecutive years.
• Iowa FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partnership to provide free soccer clinics in Des Moines Public Schools for underserved youth.
• Fellowship of Christian AthletesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver free youth soccer clinics in Des Moines Public Schools alongside the Iowa Foundation.
• Buccaneer Arena (Urbandale)coreOthersHome arena for MASL2 regular season games since the 2023-24 season. Located in Urbandale, Iowa.
• HyVee Hall (Des Moines)coreOthersPremier venue for international exhibition games featuring national teams. Located in downtown Des Moines.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Chattanooga FC: Community-owned lower-division soccer club with a comparable mix of competitive play, community engagement, and alternative ownership structure; useful comp for the Iowa Demon Hawks' grassroots-to-professional growth narrative.
• Detroit City FC: Community-rooted lower-division soccer club with strong fan engagement and a comparable small-market, community-first operating philosophy.

Direct peers

• Milwaukee Wave: Historic MASL indoor soccer franchise operating in a Midwest mid-sized market similar to Des Moines, with a comparable ticket/sponsorship revenue mix and arena-based operating model.
• Kansas City Comets: MASL indoor soccer club in a Midwest market with similar competitive economics to Iowa Demon Hawks; directly comparable in league structure, regional sponsorship base, and arena operations.
• San Diego Sockers: Long-running Major Arena Soccer League (top division) club that competes in the same MASL indoor soccer ecosystem as the Iowa Demon Hawks, with a comparable mix of ticket sales, sponsorships, and community programming.
• St. Louis Ambush: MASL indoor soccer team that competes in the same league system as Iowa Demon Hawks and operates with a similar Midwest ticket/sponsorship revenue model.
• Florida Tropics: MASL indoor soccer franchise with comparable league economics, arena-based home schedule, and dependence on ticket sales and local sponsorship.

Regional players

• Des Moines Menace: Long-standing Des Moines-based soccer club competing in USL League Two; directly comparable geographic and demographic audience as Iowa Demon Hawks and the only other prominent soccer organization in the same metro.
• Omaha Kings FC: NPSL/lower-division soccer club operating in neighboring Nebraska; comparable in tier, Midwest demographic base, and small-market operating model.

Others

• USL League Two (franchises): League operator for development-level soccer in which peer clubs (including Des Moines Menace) compete; relevant as a comparable league-level ecosystem to NPSL/MASL2 in which Iowa Demon Hawks plays.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/iowademonhawks
• Instagraminstagram.com/iowademonhawks
• Xx.com/IowaDemonHawks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Iowa Demon Hawks