The E3 Robotics Center

What The E3 Robotics Center does

The E3 Robotics Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Elkhart County, Indiana, that delivers K-12 STEM education through a tiered portfolio of robotics and esports programs. The organization operates a continuous pipeline from introductory LEGO League for K-3rd graders, through intermediate 4th-6th grade robotics delivered in partnership with 4H STEM Club, to Middle School VEX V5 competitions and the high-school FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), supplemented by a 7th-12th grade Permafrost Esports team (Splatoon 3, Smash Bros, Rocket League) and a Summer Camp 2026 program. Programs run out of the organization's own facility at 3709 Cassopolis St, Elkhart, with per-student fees ranging from $125 (elementary) to $500 (high school FRC), and scholarships available across tiers.

The business model combines individual program registration fees with tax-deductible donations, including a recurring monthly donation option managed by an in-house Development Manager. Distribution is community-led and regional, relying on local school system partnerships, family referrals, social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitch, Flickr), community outreach, and competitive events at local, regional, and state levels. The organization employs four staff (Executive Director Brian Boehler, COO/Co-Director Brent Soper, Senior Accountant Denise, Development Manager Patsy) and is governed by an eight-member board representing regional employers and educational institutions.

Name

The E3 Robotics Center

Legal name

The E3 Robotics Center

Website

https://e3robotics.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The E3 Robotics Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Elkhart County, Indiana delivering K-12 STEM education through LEGO League, VEX V5, FIRST Robotics Competition, esports, and summer camp programs for students and families in Northern Indiana.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 STEM Education

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Competition Robotics Teams & Coaching (FLL/FTC/FRC, VEX) (EDAMADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Robotics After-School & Enrichment Clubs (EDAMADAA), LEGO / Block-Based Robotics Programs (EDAMADAD), Math & STEM Learning Technology (incl. Coding/Robotics Platforms) (EDAJAMAG), Virtual Special Education & Related Services (IEP Delivery Online) (EDAJADAG)

Keywords

• K-12 STEM education
• Robotics competition programs
• FIRST robotics programs
• Youth STEM enrichment
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Elkhart

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Registration Fees: Fees charged to students for participating in robotics programs across different grade levels (K-12). Prices range from $125 for elementary programs to $500 for high school FRC season. Scholarships are available to ensure accessibility.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: 501(c)(3) nonprofit accepts tax-deductible donations from individuals and organizations. Monthly recurring donation option available with automatic receipt delivery. Donations support scholarships and program expansion.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

The E3 Robotics Center delivers hands-on K-12 STEM robotics education programs through the FIRST Robotics framework, spanning introductory LEGO League for K-3 students, VEX V5 competitions for middle schoolers, and FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) for high schoolers, along with a Permafrost Esports Team. Programs are delivered through twice-weekly team meetings at E3RC's Elkhart, Indiana facility and culminate in local, regional, and state-level competitions.

Product overview

The E3 Robotics Center is a K-12 STEM education nonprofit offering a multi-tiered robotics and esports program portfolio. The core offerings span grade-level programs including K-1st LEGO League, 2nd-3rd LEGO League, 4th-6th Grade robotics, Middle School VEX V5 Competition, and High School FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), plus a Permafrost Esports Team for 7th-12th graders and Summer Camp 2026. These programs follow the FIRST Robotics framework and the organization's '3 E's' philosophy—Explore, Educate, and Engage—providing progressive pathways from introductory LEGO robotics through competitive high school FRC, supplemented by volunteer mentorship opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-1st Graders LEGO League Introductory robotics program for K-1st graders featuring LEGO League with the 'UNEARTHED' season theme, weekly 45-minute meetings on Tuesdays and a December expo. Team size 2-4 students at $125 per student.
• 2nd-3rd Grade LEGO League Robotics program for 2nd-3rd graders using LEGO League with the 'UNEARTHED' season theme, weekly 45-minute Thursday meetings (5:00-5:45pm) from Sept 11 to Dec 6. Team size 2-4 students at $125 per student.
• 4th-6th Grade Robotics Intermediate robotics program for 4th-6th graders partnered with 4H STEM Club, offering both a Fall 'UNEARTHED' season (August-January at $250 per student) and a 'Mix and Match' full season (August-March at $350 per student), with twice-weekly Tue/Thurs meetings and tournaments including potential state championship.
• Middle School VEX V5 Competition Competitive robotics program for 7th-8th graders using VEX V5 robots with the 'Push Back' season theme, meeting twice weekly (Tue/Thurs) for 3 hours from August through the March 22 State Championship at $400 per student. Team size 5-8 students.
• High School FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) International high school robotics competition where 9th-12th grade teams design, build, and program industrial-size robots using standard kits of parts. 2026 'REBUILT' season runs August through April at $500 per student, with meetings escalating to 3-5 days weekly and including district and state championship events.
• Permafrost Esports Team Esports program for 7th-12th graders featuring competitive gaming in Splatoon 3, Smash Bros, and Rocket League. Full-year program from August through May at $400 per student, including Fall Majors, Spring Majors, and National Playoffs for qualifying teams. Team size 3-6 students.
• Summer Camp 2026 Seasonal summer robotics camp program offered to students in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• FIRST students are 3x more likely to show an increase in STEM interest than comparison group students
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Thermodyne1coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Corporate partner who provided essential support enabling E3RC to move to its own dedicated facility in summer 2019. This partnership was critical to establishing E3RC's independent operations.
• NIBCOminorOthersNIBCO is represented on E3RC's Board of Directors through Marcos DelaCruz, indicating a corporate governance connection and employer-based board participation.
• Ripple SolutionsminorOthersRipple Solutions is represented on E3RC's Board of Directors through David Smith, indicating a corporate governance connection and employer-based board participation.
• Goshen CollegeminorOthersGoshen College is represented on E3RC's Board of Directors through Danaé Wirth, indicating an educational institution connection on the board.
• Flexible ConceptsminorOthersFlexible Concepts is represented on E3RC's Board of Directors through Dave Werblo (VP of Manufacturing), indicating a manufacturing industry connection on the board.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Education: LEGO Education produces the LEGO League (FIRST LEGO League) curriculum and kits that power E3RC's K-6 programs. As the upstream curriculum/kit provider serving the same age groups, it is a direct comparand for the elementary-tier portion of E3RC's offering.
• FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology): FIRST is the umbrella organization that designs and licenses the FLL, FTC, and FRC competition programs E3RC delivers. While FIRST operates globally and provides the curriculum/competition framework, E3RC is a regional affiliate delivering hands-on programs to local students—the relationship is symbiotic and directly comparable in mission.
• VEX Robotics (Robomatter / Innovation First International): VEX Robotics designs the VEX V5 platform used in E3RC's middle school program and operates its own competition ecosystem. As an upstream platform provider with adjacent education programs, VEX is directly comparable to the program framework E3RC delivers locally.

Emerging players

• Raspberry Pi Foundation: The Raspberry Pi Foundation delivers affordable computing and STEM education to young learners globally, with programs and resources for K-12 educators. While more computing-focused than E3RC's robotics emphasis, both organizations share the mission of making STEM education accessible and hands-on.
• Science Olympiad: Science Olympiad runs team-based STEM competitions across K-12 with regional and national tournaments, overlapping with E3RC's competition-driven, team-based model. Both organizations mobilize volunteer coaches and target college-prep STEM outcomes.
• Arduino Education: Arduino Education provides K-12 STEM and robotics learning kits and curriculum targeting hands-on building and programming—directly comparable to the maker/robotics educational mission E3RC delivers through its LEGO, VEX, and FRC programs.

Direct peers

• Botball (KIPR - KISS Institute for Practical Robotics): Botball is a K-12 student robotics competition organization that runs hands-on team-based programs culminating in regional tournaments. Its mission, audience (middle/high school students), and competition-driven model closely mirror E3RC's VEX V5 and FRC offerings.
• FIRST Robotics Competition Teams (regional affiliates): Individual FIRST-affiliated robotics centers and team-hosts across the U.S. (e.g., local STEM nonprofits, schools, and community organizations) compete for the same student base and operate comparable K-12 robotics competition programs as E3RC.
• Carnegie Mellon Robotics Academy: CMU Robotics Academy develops STEM robotics curricula and teacher training programs for K-12 audiences, similar to E3RC's teacher/school training mission. Both organizations emphasize building educator capacity to deliver robotics education at scale.

Regional players

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America (STEM programs): Boys & Girls Clubs operate local STEM and robotics enrichment programs (often in partnership with FIRST) for K-12 youth, particularly serving families who need scholarships. Many local clubs deliver robotics curricula comparable to E3RC's offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/E3RoboticsCtr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGjELVfnd6BfSz-4KSRifHA
• Facebookfacebook.com/E3RoboticsCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/e3rc
• Instagraminstagram.com/e3roboticscenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@e3roboticscenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 The E3 Robotics Center