Bending Spoons CEO Luca Ferrari signals a $18 bn IPO ambition, aiming to build a legendary European tech institution
Executive summary: Bending Spoons CEO Luca Ferrari announced in an interview that the company targets a $18 billion valuation for its upcoming IPO, describing the goal as building a legendary institution. A valuation of this size would place Bending Spoons among the largest European tech listings, potentially resetting benchmarks for IPO pricing and attracting heightened investor focus on the region’s unicorn ecosystem.
Who is involved: Bending Spoons (Italian mobile‑app developer), CEO Luca Ferrari, prospective institutional investors, and European tech market observers.
Likely next: The firm will likely engage investment banks to begin IPO preparations, file a prospectus, and conduct a roadshow, proceeding subject to market conditions and regulatory approval.
In a recent interview, Luca Ferrari outlined a bold plan to take Bending Spoons public at a valuation of roughly $18 billion, far above most European tech listings. The statement reflects the company’s confidence in its app portfolio and growth trajectory, while also highlighting the increasingly ambitious IPO aspirations of European unicorns. If realized, such a listing would reshape expectations for European tech valuations and intensify competition for investor attention in the sector.
Timeline
- — Bending Spoons CEO on $18bn IPO: ‘We’re building a legendary institution’ (Sifted — EU startups)
- — Bending Spoons CEO talks future acquisitions (Yahoo Finance)
Analysis — what this means
Likely next events
- IPO filing expected within the next six months
- Investor roadshow with European and global institutions
- Market reaction to the proposed $18 bn valuation
Sectors affected
- Technology
- Mobile applications
- Financial markets (IPOs)
- European tech
Regulatory implications
- EU prospectus disclosure requirements
- Possible scrutiny under MiFID II for large‑scale listings
- Antitrust review if valuation triggers market‑power concerns
Historical parallels
- Spotify’s 2018 direct listing
- Adyen’s 2018 IPO
- Delivery Hero’s 2020 IPO
Key entities
Sources
- Bending Spoons CEO on $18bn IPO: ‘We’re building a legendary institution’ — Sifted — EU startups
- Bending Spoons CEO talks future acquisitions — Yahoo Finance