Bending Spoons, Owner of AOL and Other Old Internet Brands, Is Going Public
Bending Spoons, the Italian app developer that acquired classic internet brands like AOL, Vimeo, and Eventbrite, has announced plans to go public. The company, known for buying and revitalizing struggling digital properties, filed for an initial public offering on the Nasdaq. The move marks a significant milestone for the firm, which has built a portfolio of well-known but aging internet services.
Background
Bending Spoons is an Italian tech company (based in Milan) that buys struggling or faded digital businesses and revives them by aggressively cutting costs, slashing headcount, and shifting to subscription models. The company filed for an IPO on the Nasdaq in mid-2026.
- They are best known for acquiring AOL (the dial-up internet pioneer from the 1990s/2000s) in 2023, and also own Vimeo (video platform), Eventbrite (event ticketing), Evernote (note-taking app), WeTransfer (file sharing), and Meetup (social events).
- Under Bending Spoons, these once-beloved brands often become more profitable but lose many users and much of their original functionality. For example, Evernote laid off much of its US staff and moved engineering to Europe; Vimeo cut free tiers and raised prices.
- The IPO is notable because Bending Spoons is listing at a time when few tech IPOs are happening, and because they are essentially packaging an "internet museum" of older names — the question for investors is whether these cash-extraction strategies can sustain long-term growth.