Italian technology conglomerate Bending Spoons has continued its rapid expansion in the global software sector, agreeing to acquire Eventbrite in an all‑cash deal valued at roughly $500 million TechCrunch Billboard. The San Francisco‑based ticketing and event‑management platform, once valued at $1.76 billion at its 2018 IPO, will be taken private after the transaction closes, expected in the first half of 2026 pending regulatory and shareholder approval Billboard.
The acquisition marks another high‑profile move for Bending Spoons, which has built a reputation for buying well‑known but stagnating digital brands and attempting to revive them through cost‑cutting, product overhauls and long‑term operational control TechCrunch. Eventbrite joins a portfolio that already includes Evernote, Meetup, Vimeo, WeTransfer, komoot, and most notably AOL, which Bending Spoons agreed to purchase for $2.8 billion in October PitchBook.
Founded in Milan, the company has risen from relative obscurity to become one of the most active acquirers in the tech sector, pursuing a strategy that differs from traditional private equity by holding companies indefinitely rather than flipping them for profit TechCrunch. Eventbrite shareholders will receive $4.50 per share, an 80%+ premium over the company’s recent trading average, reflecting investor confidence in the turnaround strategy Billboard Music Business Worldwide.
Bending Spoons CEO Luca Ferrari said the company intends to build on Eventbrite’s long‑standing role in the “experience economy,” with plans to introduce new tools, AI‑driven features and expanded marketplace capabilities once the deal is finalized Silicon Republic.
The acquisition underscores Bending Spoons’ ambition to assemble a global ecosystem of established but underperforming digital brands — and signals that its aggressive buying streak is far from over.
