Bending Spoons Founders Enter Billionaire Club as Tech firm Continues Acquisition Spree
Table of Contents
bending Spoons, the Milan-based tech conglomerate, has propelled its four cofounders into billionaire status following a recent funding round and a series of high-profile acquisitions, including the latest deal to acquire AOL. CEO Luca Ferrari’s stake is now valued at $1.4 billion, while Matteo Danieli, Luca Querella, and Francesco Patarnello each hold stakes worth $1.3 billion, according to estimates from Forbes based on data from the Italian Business Register.
the surge in valuation comes after Bending Spoons secured $270 million in new funding from investors like T. Rowe Price, alongside existing backers Baillie Gifford, Cox Enterprises, Durable capital Partners, and Fidelity. A further $440 million was raised through a secondary share sale, though it remains unclear if the cofounders participated in this transaction. The company has declined to comment on the specifics of its founders’ holdings.
Despite remaining remarkably under the radar for a 12-year-old company, Bending Spoons has consistently made headlines through its aggressive acquisition strategy.The firm’s most recent move, the acquisition of AOL, underscores its ambition to reshape established internet brands.
Though, Bending Spoons operates differently than traditional private equity firms. The company focuses on acquiring underperforming, yet popular, tech brands and then optimizing them for efficiency and user experience.This frequently enough involves notable restructuring, including layoffs, and controversial product changes, as seen with Evernote and WeTransfer. Despite this, Bending Spoons has maintained a relatively low profile, even as its portfolio of products serves over a billion people, with more than 300 million monthly active users and 10 million paying customers.
From Startup Failure to Acquisition Machine
Bending Spoons describes itself as a company dedicated to acquiring and transforming digital businesses. Now employing between 400 and 500 “Spooners,” the company’s core strategy centers on improving existing products and services. Though, its origins are surprisingly humble.
The company’s backstory reveals that Bending Spoons emerged from the remnants of Evertale, a Copenhagen-based startup that participated in Disrupt SF 2011’s Startup Alley with its photo-sharing app. After Evertale failed to gain traction,the founders relocated to Milan and began building Bending Spoons in 2013.
Portfolio and Future Plans
- Komoot and Harvest (2025): Further expansion into outdoor route planning and management software.
- Vimeo and AOL (2025): The announced acquisitions of Vimeo for $1.38 billion and AOL from Yahoo represent the company’s most ambitious moves to date. (Disclosure: both AOL and Yahoo are former owners of techcrunch, in which Yahoo retains a small interest.)
The acquisitions of AOL and Vimeo are expected to close by the end of the year, pending standard closing conditions and regulatory approvals, including stockholder approval for Vimeo.
A Decacorn’s Future
As of late October 2025, Bending Spoons has achieved “decacorn” status, with a valuation exceeding $10 billion. The company’s latest funding round represents a significant increase from its previous $2.8 billion valuation in 2024.
Despite being long bootstrapped, Bending Spoons has attracted high-profile investors, including Andre Agassi, Bradley Cooper, Eric Schmidt, Mike Krieger, Xavier Niel, The Weeknd, The Chainsmokers, and Maluma. The new funding will be used to support future acquisitions and investments in proprietary technology and AI capabilities, in addition to the $2.8 billion in debt financing secured for the AOL deal.
Looking ahead, Bending Spoons intends to continue its acquisition strategy, targeting both consumer and enterprise digital products. with its increased funding, the company is now positioned to pursue even more prominent targets, as evidenced by its recent moves for AOL and Vimeo. The company is also actively hiring, with positions available at its Milan headquarters and offices in London, Madrid, and Warsaw, and also remote opportunities. Despite warning candidates of a “demanding habitat,” Bending Spoons has reportedly received over 600,000 job applications in 2025, a testament to its growing influence and ambition.
