Friendly Fire: €4 million investment and a new venue in Rijeka

Croatian gaming and esports franchise Friendly Fire has secured fresh investment as it continues to open venues in Croatia and abroad. According to an article published by business portal Poduzetnik on 17 September 2026, AYMO Ventures invested €4 million in a Series A funding round in late August, followed by venue openings in Rijeka, Vienna and Cyprus in early September.

Investment amid international expansion

The investment from Croatian fund AYMO Ventures comes at a time when Friendly Fire already operates beyond its home market. From its first venue in Zagreb, the concept has grown into a franchise network with 22 venues across six countries. The new investment therefore represents funding for a business with an established international network and signed agreements for further growth, rather than the launch of a new idea.

The reported investment totals €4 million. However, the available announcement does not disclose the equity stake acquired by the fund, the company's valuation or a detailed allocation of the capital. The investment should therefore not be presented as a confirmed budget for individual openings or as evidence that the entire expansion plan is already funded.

For Croatia's franchise sector, the significance lies in the combination of two confirmed facts: a home-grown concept has attracted investment from a domestic fund while developing its business across several markets. The funding and openings occurred close together, but the source does not establish a direct link between the investment and the costs of the new venues.

Rijeka among September's new venues

In early September, Friendly Fire opened venues in Rijeka, Vienna and Cyprus. The Rijeka opening is the Croatian part of a development phase that also sees the network expanding internationally. It shows that international growth is being accompanied by continued development in the Croatian market.

The announcement also mentions further expansion in the Benelux market, with Utrecht as a new location, and entry into Spain and Poland. No detailed timelines or venue opening schedules are given for the latter two markets, so these should be distinguished from the clearly described September openings in Rijeka, Vienna and Cyprus.

This distinction matters when tracking the network's development. An operating venue, a new market and future expansion covered by signed agreements are not equivalent indicators. For those following the Croatian market, the most tangible development in this news is the addition of a Rijeka venue to a network that began in Zagreb.

Signed expansion plans exceed the existing network

Alongside the 22 existing venues in six countries, Poduzetnik reports more than 30 signed franchise agreements providing for approximately 200 additional venues across 11 countries. This represents a development pipeline substantially larger than the current business, but it does not describe venues that are already open.

The number of agreements is not the same as the number of future venues. The published figures refer to more than 30 agreements and approximately 200 planned openings, without a breakdown of individual partners' obligations or delivery schedules. The available information therefore does not allow readers to calculate an annual opening rate or determine when the network might reach its announced scale.

For prospective franchise partners, this distinction has practical implications. The existing network demonstrates the concept's reach to date, while the agreed expansion reflects future commitments and ambitions. When assessing the opportunity, it is worth requesting separate figures for operating venues, those in development and markets where expansion has only been agreed.

Users and competitions provide further context

According to the same source, more than 220,000 gamers use Friendly Fire's platform, and its venues have hosted over 1,000 amateur esports competitions. These figures add context to the network: alongside its physical venues, the concept has a platform and activities that bring users together.

However, the number of platform users is not the same as the number of regular visitors to an individual venue. Nor does the total number of competitions reveal venue revenue or profitability. The available announcement does not provide these financial indicators, so the size of the user base cannot be used to infer the return on investment a future partner might expect.

The news of fresh capital, new venues and agreed expansion offers a concrete overview of Friendly Fire's next phase. Practical takeaway: interested partners should separately verify the performance of existing venues, entry costs and opening timelines. The fund's investment and the growth plan provide important context, but they are no substitute for assessing the business case for an individual franchise.