Bending Spoons, the Milan-based software company known for acquiring and reshaping digital brands, has debuted on Nasdaq with a valuation above $18 billion. Shares climbed sharply on the first day, underscoring investor interest in its long-term platform strategy.
The company has built its reputation by taking over well-known internet products such as Meetup, Eventbrite, Vimeo, WeTransfer and Evernote, then improving them with product upgrades, analytics and experimentation. Rather than buying and quickly reselling businesses, Bending Spoons says it aims to keep them and strengthen their performance over time.
Co-founder and chief product officer Matteo Danieli says the company's philosophy is rooted in experience. An earlier startup, Evertale, failed but helped shape the team's approach to product development and execution. From that lesson came a central idea: success is not only about talent, but also about building systems that reduce the role of chance.
That mindset now extends to pricing, feature rollouts and user retention. The company says its data tools and testing framework help it decide when to add new features, when to offer them free, and when to adjust pricing. Danieli says retention has remained stable even as some subscribers have reacted to price changes.
Artificial intelligence has become a major part of that evolution. Bending Spoons says AI has accelerated how quickly it can launch features and create value for users. The company also points to its early work in machine learning as part of its identity, long before AI became a mainstream business theme.
With fresh public-market capital and a growing acquisition pipeline, Bending Spoons is positioning itself for a new phase of expansion. Its next chapter may help define how software companies combine disciplined operations, AI tools and acquisition-led growth in the years ahead.
