Bending Spoons, la startup italienne qui valait 3 milliards d’euros

Bending Spoons, an Italian technology company founded in 2013, has over 150 million active monthly users and annual revenues exceeding $600 million. The company is noted for acquiring and optimizing existing digital services to enhance their growth trajectory. This strategy has positioned Bending Spoons as a significant player in the European tech sector.

Recently, Bending Spoons made headlines following a change in the terms of service, which initially allowed the company to utilize user data from WeTransfer. This decision led to considerable backlash, prompting the company to reverse its decision. However, the incident resulted in notable customer attrition.

Bending Spoons follows a unique acquisition strategy, functioning as a development platform that reinvents technology, product, marketing, and organization post-acquisition. In 2024, the company raised $150 million, valuing it at over $2.5 billion. Their acquisition targets range from $50 million to $1.5 billion. In the past year, they evaluated over 3,000 companies, submitting offers only when they believed significant product improvements were possible.

Bending Spoons manages a diverse portfolio of over 100 applications. Among them, Remini , a photo editing tool powered by AI, is particularly prominent, ranking as the second most-used generative AI product globally, with over 100 million active monthly users. Other notable products include Evernote , Splice , StreamYard , and WeTransfer . The top contributors generate approximately 50-60% of total company revenues, facilitating risk reduction and business diversification.

The company emphasizes recruiting young graduates, transforming them into highly skilled professionals. About 100 new employees join annually through a rigorous selection process requiring up to 15 hours of candidate effort. The company adheres to a continuous improvement culture inspired by the "Kaizen" model, focusing on incremental daily improvements.

Strategic Role of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is integral to Bending Spoons’ strategy, with the company enhancing products by incorporating AI capabilities. This approach offers a competitive edge, particularly against competitors struggling to adapt. Bending Spoons is exploring AI applications within enterprise software, identifying significant potential in this domain.

Looking ahead, Bending Spoons aims to expand into enterprise software and is considering a potential public offering on NASDAQ. This move could provide capital for future acquisitions. The company aspires to serve as a model for global tech enterprises emerging from Italy, despite acknowledging the challenges posed by regulatory and cultural factors in Europe.

D’après FrenchWeb.