Bending Spoons SpA, an Italy-based company that acquires and restructures older internet businesses including AOL, Vimeo and Eventbrite, is going public on the Nasdaq after pricing its initial public offering at $29 per share. Multiple outlets report that the IPO raises about $1.68 billion in total proceeds, with around $1 billion going to the company and the remainder to selling shareholders. The company and some backers also price the offering above its marketed range of $26 to $28, valuing the firm at roughly $18.4 billion in coverage that cites the offer price. On the first day of trading, shares rise above the IPO price in early trading and finish substantially higher, with reports of gains ranging from about 6.9% to about 40% depending on the reference point (intraday versus closing performance). Bloomberg reports Bending Spoons sells 57.97 million shares marketed for $26 to $28, while Quartz notes the above-range pricing. Financial Times and other linked coverage describe Bending Spoons’ acquisition strategy and mention that it uses AI in redesign efforts, along with subscription-based revenue from its portfolio. The company says it plans to use proceeds to invest in further acquisitions.
Bending Spoons, owner of AOL and Vimeo, raises $1.68 billion in Nasdaq IPO
Bending Spoons SpA, an Italy-based company that acquires and restructures older internet businesses including AOL, Vimeo and Eventbrite, is going public on the Nasdaq after pricing its initial public...
- Bending Spoons SpA, an Italy-based acquirer of established internet brands, lists its shares on the Nasdaq.
- The IPO is priced at $29 per share, above a marketed range of $26 to $28.
- The offering raises about $1.68 billion total; coverage says about $1 billion goes to the company and the rest to selling shareholders.
- Shares trade above the IPO price on the first day, with reported gains varying by intraday versus closing measures.
- The company is associated with brands including AOL, Vimeo and Eventbrite and plans to use proceeds for further acquisitions.
How Bending Spoons built a $23bn tech empire from struggling brands Financial TimesWhat is Bending Spoons? The little-known AOL and Vimeo owner that’s now public TechCrunchOwner of Eventbrite and Vimeo celebrates 40% price jump on debut The TimesAOL Owner Bending Spoons Jumps 40% After $1.68 Billion IPO Bloomberg.comCan Bending Spoons thrive as a listed company? The Economist
1 month ago"The owner of AOL and other tech businesses hit Wall Street with a $1.7 billion initial public offering Wednesday," reports the Associated Press: The company is getting $1 billion in proceeds, while the rest is going to shareholders. The stock surged 39.7% in its first day of trading under the symbol "BSP" on the Nasdaq, giving it a market value of $25.2 billion. Among the company's well-known holdings are the event creation and ticketing company Eventbrite, and the video hosting service Vimeo... AOL itself went public in 1992 and was a vanguard of technology and communication. It reached a market value of $164 billion in 2000 shortly before merging with Time Warner. It then crashed along with the rest of the industry following the bursting of the dot-com bubble. It has been bought and sold several times over the last two decades... [Italy-based Bending Spoons] was founded by three friends in 2013 following the failure of their first attempt at building a technology startup. It has since grown by buying more than 50 companies. The acquired companies are reorganized, and AI technology is often a key tool in the redesign. The focus remains on subscription-based revenue from the portfolio of businesses. The company said it had net income of $27.5 million on revenue of $601 million during the first three months of 2026. It had more than 500 million monthly active users and 9 million monthly paying customers as of March. The company has debt of just under $4.4 billion. It plans to use proceeds from the offering to invest in new acquisitions. The article notes that in the company's prospectus, it says they chose the name Bending Spoons because "We were about to attempt to create a world-class company with $40,000, a team of five, and a track record that read 0 for 1. A touch of irony seemed appropriate." Read more of this story at Slashdot.
1 month agoA quarter-century after it swallowed Time Warner in one of history’s splashiest and most ill-fated mergers, AOL returned to the Wall Street spotlight Wednesday with a new corporate parent, Bending Spoons. The Milan, Italy-based company had its initial public offering on the Nasdaq, with shares rising 40% to finish at $40.50. The IPO raised about […]
1 month agoBending Spoons SpA shares rose 14% above their initial public offering price after the company and some of its backers raised $1.68 billion. Shares of the Milan, Italy-based company, which acquires struggling software businesses, opened on Wednesday at $31 each, above the IPO price of $29 per share, before climbing as high as $33.14. The firm and investors including Baillie Gifford sold 57.97 million shares after marketing them for $26 to $28. Luca Ferrari, CEO, Bending Spoons joined Bailey Lipschultz, Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec from to discuss their first day of trading. (Source: Bloomberg)
1 month agoBending Spoons SpA shares rose 6.9% above their initial public offering price after the company and some of its backers raised $1.68 billion.
1 month ago
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