WOOP! considers franchise network following ACP takeover

Investment fund Advance Capital Partners (ACP) completed its acquisition of a 70% stake in WOOP!, a network of leisure and sports parks operating in Slovenia and Austria, on 9 October 2026. For readers following Slovenia’s franchise market, the key announcement is that later growth could include the development of a franchise network. The first phase of expansion, however, will focus on opening company-owned parks in new countries.

New majority owner, founder remains on the management team

According to a report published by QUASA on 18 October, ACP completed the acquisition once the conditions precedent had been met. Its 70% stake makes it WOOP!’s majority owner, while founder Samo Habič and the two other co-owners remain on the management team. The change in ownership therefore does not mean that the existing co-owners are stepping down from running the business.

Completion followed a decision by the Slovenian Competition Protection Agency. In a merger notice published on 21 September 2026, the agency stated that it had decided on 26 August not to oppose the transaction. Its review covered ACP’s acquisition involving the Slovenian company WOOP!, zabaviščni parki, d. o. o., and the Austrian company WOOP! Funpark Graz GmbH.

These are two separate milestones: the regulator first reviewed the transaction, and the majority-stake acquisition was then completed in October. The agency’s decision concerns this specific ownership transaction, not a change to the rules governing franchising in Slovenia.

From five parks to a target of more than ten company-owned locations

WOOP! had five parks at the time of the takeover. Four were in the Slovenian cities of Ljubljana and Maribor, and one was in Graz, Austria. The network was therefore already operating in two countries when the majority owner came on board, with the announced expansion set to extend its international presence.

By 2030, the company is targeting more than ten company-owned locations and annual revenue exceeding €50 million. Both figures are targets for future operations, not a description of the network’s current scale. The revenue target is neither the purchase price of the 70% stake nor cumulative revenue over the period to 2030.

ACP board member Matej Runjak described the first phase as follows: “In the first phase, we plan to enter three to five new countries by opening our own parks.” The announcement thus clearly links the initial expansion to company-owned locations. The number of new countries is also not the same as the number of new parks: the statement does not specify how many locations will open in each market.

Franchising is an option for later growth

ACP also mentioned developing a franchise network as part of later growth. This is particularly relevant to those following Slovenia’s franchise sector: alongside further company-owned openings, a brand with parks in Slovenia and Austria is considering another route to expansion.

However, announcing plans to develop a network is not the same as opening a franchised location or launching an offer for prospective partners. The confirmed ownership development is the takeover, while the clearly defined first phase involves entering new countries with company-owned parks. The franchising element should be read as a direction for future development, not as expansion that has already taken place.

It is also important to distinguish between the targets. Any future franchised parks should not be counted towards the announced target of more than ten company-owned locations. A directly owned park and one operated by a franchise partner are different categories. The same distinction applies to revenue: the company’s income from franchise arrangements may differ from the revenue generated by a park it operates itself.

What prospective partners should watch for

For entrepreneurs following WOOP!’s development, the next important milestone will be more concrete details of its franchise model. The announcement alone does not provide a basis for calculating the investment required or assessing the terms of a partnership. Those assessments should be based on any future presentation of the model, rather than on targets for company-owned expansion.

When following further announcements, it is therefore useful to separate three questions: where the company will open its next company-owned parks, how it will progress towards its 2030 targets, and when it will provide more detail on franchise opportunities. An answer to the first question does not automatically answer the other two.

Practical takeaway: Following the takeover, WOOP! has announced growth plans that could later include franchise partners. Interested entrepreneurs should watch for the specific terms of any future offer, while keeping planned company-owned parks clearly separate from a potential franchise network.