What is Bending Spoons? The little-known AOL and Vimeo owner that's now public

Key Points:

• Bending Spoons, a Milan-based tech conglomerate known for acquiring brands like AOL and Vimeo, went public on Nasdaq in 2026, briefly reaching a market capitalization over $25 billion, doubling its previous private valuation of $11 billion.
• The company’s strategy involves acquiring popular digital brands and improving their financial performance through tech, AI, pricing adjustments, and organizational changes, while holding onto these brands long-term rather than flipping them.
• Since its founding from the remains of the failed startup Evertale, Bending Spoons has grown its user base to over 500 million monthly active users and more than 9 million paying customers as of March 2026, with a reported revenue of $1.31 billion in 2025.
• Major acquisitions include Evernote, Meetup, Eventbrite, WeTransfer, Brightcove, Vimeo, and AOL, often followed by layoffs and changes to product offerings, sparking controversy but maintaining stable customer retention.
• Despite expanding its portfolio and workforce through acquisitions, Bending Spoons focuses on a core team of highly selective hires called “Spooners,” and anticipates further growth and efficiency gains driven by AI, with plans for continued selective acquisitions and possible take-private deals.