Endor AG was established in October 1997 by Thomas Jackermeier. Recognizing a limited stock of high-quality sim racing devices in the 1990s, Jackermeier acquired AB-Union, renaming it Endor Ltd. and later Endor AG, and established Fanatec as the company’s flagship brand. He financed this venture by selling his wholesale biking store while completing his Masters of Business Administration at the University of Regensburg.
Initially, Endor sold a variety of PC peripherals, such as the Game Commander/Alpha Twin joystick and a licensed trackball for the Command & Conquer franchise. Following the successful release of the Le Mans wheel for PC, Endor developed the first officially licensed wheel for the PlayStation system, Speedster 2, which was marketed directly by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) and gained major success. Endor continued its relationship with SCEE with the development of the Speedster 3 wheel and the °G game controllers.
Under the Fanatec brand, the company manufactures racing wheels, shifters, pedals, and cockpits, even under license from several automakers, such as BMW, McLaren and Porsche. All of products are applicable for most racing games, including the official licensed games based on the World Rally Championship, Formula 1, NASCAR and more.
On June 27, 2006, Endor AG went public, trading over-the-counter on the Munich Stock Exchange, the Stuttgart Stock Exchange and the Hamburg Stock Exchange. The company became involved in real-world motorsport in addition to its long-time presence in virtual racing. In July 2018, Fanatec became the official partner for Formula 1, sponsoring the F1 Esports Series and supplying its gaming peripherals. In January 2021, the SRO Motorsports Group named Fanatec as the title sponsor for the GT World Challenge, having previously been the official partner for the SRO E-Sports GT Series in 2020. On May 18, 2023, Polyphony Digital partnered with Fanatec as the official steering wheel supplier for the 2023 Gran Turismo World Series, featuring the brand in Gran Turismo 7's Brand Central. Fanatec also sponsored driver Igor Fraga for his 2023 Super Formula Lights campaign.
On March 28, 2024, Endor's board dismissed CEO Thomas Jackermeier, effective March 30, fulfilling a key condition set by the lending banks for the extension of the standstill agreement. On May 9, 2024, Corsair Gaming announced its intention to acquire Endor AG, including the Fanatec brand. By September 23, 2024, Corsair had acquired the company and all of its assets, announcing Endor AG would be wound up, with no jobs to be lost and the Fanatec brand name to continue.