If you’ve been following the European tech or gaming scene lately, you’ve probably heard whispers about the David Kosir sold company saga. It’s one of those business stories that sounds like a textbook success on paper but feels a lot more personal when you dig into the actual timeline. People keep asking: Did he sell the whole thing? Was it just a few locations? Or did the brand just evolve into something else?
Business exits are rarely as clean as the headlines make them look. Honestly, when a founder like David Kosir moves on from a "company-owned" model to a "franchise-first" model, the internet tends to freak out and assume the ship is sinking. But in this case, it’s basically the opposite. It’s a story about scale, gaming cafes, and knowing when to let go of the daily grind to build something bigger.
The Friendly Fire Era: How it All Started
Before we get into the sale, you’ve gotta understand what he actually built. David Kosir founded Friendly Fire back in 2017. The first arena popped up in Zagreb, Croatia. At the time, everyone said internet cafes were dead because everyone had a smartphone and a console at home.
Kosir bet against that.
He realized that gamers didn't just want a fast connection; they wanted a community. They wanted the vibe of a high-end eSports arena without needing a $3,000 rig in their bedroom. By 2018, the business was already pivoting toward franchising. This is where the "sold company" confusion usually starts.
When a founder sells off their company-owned locations to franchisees, it technically counts as a sale. But the brand stays alive. It’s a strategic move to offload the headache of managing staff and light bills so you can focus on the software and the global brand.
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Why David Kosir Shifted the Business Model
Think about the sheer stress of running a gaming cafe. You're the IT guy, the janitor, the marketing lead, and the psychologist for tilted teenagers all at once. Kosir realized that for Friendly Fire to survive the post-pandemic world, it couldn't just be one guy running the show.
In late 2021, news broke about Friendly Fire launching amateur eSports leagues for games like League of Legends and Fortnite. This wasn't just a fun add-on. It was a play to make the business more valuable before the transition.
The Big Transition
Around 2023, there was a significant shift where company-owned Friendly Fire locations were handed over to local owners. In the industry, we call this "refranchising."
- The "Why": Company-owned stores often hit a ceiling.
- The Result: One specific location that was just "breaking even" saw a 93% revenue growth after being sold to independent franchisees.
- The Logic: Owners with skin in the game work harder than managers on a salary.
So, when people talk about the David Kosir sold company moment, they’re often referring to this period where the corporate entity started slimming down to become a pure-play franchisor. It’s a classic move. McDonald's doesn't want to flip every burger; they want to own the system that flips the burgers.
Clearing Up the Identity Confusion
If you search for "David Kosir" today, you might get confused. There is a very successful real estate broker in Illinois with the same name. That David Kosir has been selling houses—not gaming companies.
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The David Kosir who founded the eSports empire is a Croatian entrepreneur.
It's a weird quirk of SEO that these two often get mashed together. If you're looking for the business exit details, make sure you aren't accidentally reading a Zillow report from Tinley Park. The gaming Kosir was busy dissolving Friendly Fire Franchising Ltd in the UK around 2023-2024 as part of a corporate restructuring.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Exit
Most people think selling a company means the founder is "out." That’s usually not how it works in the franchise world.
Kosir didn't just walk away with a check and disappear to a beach. He basically sold the "operational" side of the business to empower local entrepreneurs. This allowed the brand to expand into Austria, Mexico, and Bosnia.
It's actually a smarter way to "sell." By selling off individual units, you keep the intellectual property and the recurring royalty fees. You get the liquidity of a sale without losing the legacy. Honestly, it’s kind of a genius move for a young founder who wants to stay in the game but hates the 11 PM "the server is down" phone calls.
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What This Means for the Future of eSports Cafes
The David Kosir sold company story tells us a lot about where the "experience economy" is heading. People aren't just buying a product; they're buying a place to be.
- Community is the Moat: You can't download a high-five from a teammate.
- Franchising is the Scalpel: It allows for rapid growth without the debt of corporate expansion.
- Revenue Diversification: Gaming only accounts for about 60% of the money. The rest comes from food, drinks, and merch.
Actionable Takeaways for Entrepreneurs
If you’re looking at what David Kosir did and wondering how to apply it to your own exit strategy, here’s the real talk.
First, build a system, not a job. If the company can't run without you being there to fix the Wi-Fi, you don't have a company to sell; you have a high-stress hobby. Kosir built a software stack that automated the "boring" parts of the gaming cafe, which is what made the locations attractive to buyers in the first place.
Second, consider the "Partial Exit." You don't always have to sell 100% to a private equity firm. Selling off branches or departments to the people who already work there—or to hungry franchisees—can provide the capital you need to pivot your main brand.
Lastly, watch your digital footprint. The fact that two David Kosirs are dominating the search results for "sold company" shows how important personal branding is. If you're planning an exit, make sure your PR is clear about what exactly is being sold and what you're doing next.
The Friendly Fire story isn't over. It just changed hands. Whether you're a gamer or a business owner, the lesson is clear: sometimes you have to sell the parts to save the whole.
Establish your brand, automate the operations, and don't be afraid to let someone else take the wheel when the time is right. That’s how you actually win the game.