The four cofounders of Bending Spoons, one of Europe’s fastest-growing technology conglomerates, have joined the ranks of billionaires following the company’s latest funding round. CEO Luca Ferrari’s stake in the Milan-based firm is now valued at $1.4 billion, while his fellow cofounders Matteo Danieli, Luca Querella, and Francesco Patarnello each hold stakes worth an estimated $1.3 billion.
According to Forbes, the milestone follows a $270 million investment led by T. Rowe Price alongside major backers including Baillie Gifford, Cox Enterprises, Durable Capital Partners, and Fidelity, as well as a $440 million secondary share sale by existing shareholders.
Founded 12 years ago, Bending Spoons has quietly become a dominant force in digital acquisitions, focusing on reviving underperforming yet well-known tech brands. The company recently agreed to acquire AOL from Yahoo for an undisclosed amount and is awaiting regulatory approval for a $1.38 billion deal to purchase Vimeo.
Its strategy involves buying consumer and enterprise digital products with large user bases and transforming them through improved technology, monetization models, and organizational restructuring. Notably, Bending Spoons claims it “aims to hold forever,” distinguishing itself from traditional private equity firms by never selling acquired businesses.
Over the past three years, Bending Spoons has executed a string of high-profile acquisitions, including Evernote, Filmic, Meetup, WeTransfer, Issuu, StreamYard, and Brightcove. While its restructuring efforts have sometimes sparked controversy due to staff layoffs and feature changes, the company’s active portfolio now reaches over one billion users globally, with 300 million monthly active users and 10 million paying customers. Its latest acquisitions, particularly AOL and Vimeo, underscore an ambition to scale further into global markets while enhancing its proprietary AI and digital infrastructure.
Backed by celebrity investors such as Eric Schmidt, Mike Krieger, Xavier Niel, Andre Agassi, The Weeknd, and Bradley Cooper, Bending Spoons is now valued at over $10 billion—cementing its status as one of Europe’s few tech decacorns. The company plans to channel its new funding toward additional acquisitions, AI development, and product innovation.
Despite its demanding work culture, Bending Spoons remains one of the most sought-after employers in Europe, having received more than 600,000 job applications in 2025 alone. As it continues its global acquisition spree, the company is rapidly emerging as a transformative force reshaping some of the internet’s most recognizable digital platforms.