Italy’s Bending Spoons adds Eventbrite to portfolio in €430 million all-cash acquisition

Milan-based tech company Bending Spoons is acquiring global event platform Eventbrite in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately €430 million ($500 million). The definitive agreement will see the US-listed Eventbrite become a privately held company, with the deal expected to close in the first half of 2026.

The acquisition adds yet another high-profile name to Bending Spoons’ rapidly expanding portfolio, which already includes Evernote, WeTransfer, Vimeo, komoot, and Meetup. The Italian company has quietly become a powerhouse in digital product consolidation, applying a strategy of long-term ownership and intensive post-acquisition investment.

“For two decades, Eventbrite has stood at the forefront of the experience economy, helping tens of millions to create, discover, and attend unforgettable events,” says Luca Ferrari, Bending Spoons CEO and co-founder. “Joining forces with Bending Spoons will accelerate innovation and strengthen Eventbrite’s tools and resources to bring even more people together through shared live experiences for many years to come.”

EU-Startups’ reporting over the past two years shows a timeline of Bending Spoons pursuing a consistent strategy of large-scale digital consolidation, supported by significant financing activity.

In 2025, the company raised over €500 million in debt to accelerate its acquisition pipeline. Shortly after, it completed one of the year’s largest European tech transactions with the €1.1 billion cash acquisition of Vimeo. Earlier coverage traces foundations of this strategy: in 2023, Bending Spoons acquired digital publishing platform Issuu.

Together, these reports depict a company steadily expanding its ownership of established digital platforms, setting a clear precedent for major acquisitions such as today’s Eventbrite news.

“As longstanding fans, we’ve identified a few opportunities that we’re excited about exploring with the Eventbrite team after closing the transaction. These include building a dedicated messaging feature, introducing AI for easier event creation, improving searchability, and creating a system for the secondary ticket market. We’re committed to investing in Eventbrite for the long run, and hope we’ll be able to help it reach new heights,” adds Ferrari.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Milan, Bending Spoons has established itself as a quietly dominant player in digital acquisitions. Its products are used by over one billion people globally, with more than 400 million monthly active users and ten million paying customers.

Its model of transforming rather than flipping acquired companies has made it an outlier in the tech investment world.

Eventbrite, founded in 2006 by Julia Hartz, Kevin Hartz, and Renaud Visage, has grown into one of the most recognised platforms in the experience economy.

In 2024, the company powered over 4.7 million events and issued 83 million paid tickets globally.

“Eventbrite helped unlock something profoundly human: the need to gather, to connect, and to build community around the passions we share. What began as an unmet need – to empower local creators and community leaders to bring people together – has grown into a global movement that has shaped millions of meaningful experiences and helped event-goers find their people in moments that matter most,” says Julia Hartz, Eventbrite co-founder, Chief Executive Officer, and Executive Chair.

“There has never been a more important time to bring the world together in real life. As we look ahead, I’m energised by the speed, resources, and innovative power of Bending Spoons to propel Eventbrite into its next chapter,“ adds Hartz.

Under the agreement, Eventbrite shareholders will receive €3.87 ($4.50) per share in cash, an 82% premium over the company’s 60-day volume-weighted average share price as of 1 December 2025.

The move follows closely on the heels of Bending Spoons’ €1.1 billion ($1.38 billion) acquisition of Vimeo and a signed deal to take over AOL.

Once the transaction closes, Eventbrite will delist from any stock exchange and begin life under Bending Spoons’ umbrella, signalling a new era for both companies – and for the broader live experiences industry.

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