Italy’s Bending Spoons files for $20 billion Nasdaq IPO

Milan-based technology conglomerate Bending Spoons — that recently acquired Eventbrite, AOL and Vimeo — filed on ‌Monday for an initial public offering on the US Nasdaq.

Bending Spoons, which buys and revamps digital businesses, aims for a valuation of at least $20 billion, a source close to the matter told Reuters on Monday, adding that Bending Spoons is targeting an ​end of June launch of its IPO.

The scaleup firm has raised more than $600 million from investors including Baillie Gifford, Ryan Reynolds and Endeavor Catalyst.

“We see a vast opportunity ahead,” wrote Bending Spoons CEO Luca Ferrari in a letter attached ​to the IPO prospectus.
“We’ve identified more than 1,000 digital businesses (both private and public) that ​could be attractive acquisition targets in the future.”

The Milan-based company was valued at $11 billion in a funding round in October.

“The timing of the offering, number of shares to be offered, and the price range for the proposed offering have not yet been determined,”said the firm.

“Bending Spoons has applied to list its ordinary shares on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker symbol ‘BSP’.”