Italian Bending Spoons conquers AOL

New big acquisition for Bending Spoons. The technology company has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Aol, the web portal and email service provider, from Yahoo. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of the year, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.

To finance the acquisition of Aol and future M&A operations, Bending Spoons announced the successful completion of a $2.8 billion debt financing package. The package includes term loan A and term loan B credit facilities, along with incremental revolving credit facility commitments provided by leading banks.

"Aol is an iconic and beloved company that is in good health, has stood the test of time, and, in our view, has untapped potential," said Luca Ferrari, CEO and co-founder of Bending Spoons. "According to our estimates, Aol is one of the top ten most-used email providers in the world, with a highly loyal customer base of approximately 8 million daily active users and 30 million monthly active users. We intend to invest significantly to help the product and the company thrive. Bending Spoons has never sold an acquired company: we are confident that we are the right long-term custodians of Aol and look forward to serving its large and loyal user base for many years to come.

Aol will be a new global brand to join the portfolio of Bending Spoons. Last month, Bending Spoons announced a definitive agreement to acquire Vimeo, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to the usual conditions and approvals, including Vimeo shareholder approval and required regulatory approvals.

"Aol and Yahoo share a long history, and our new team relished the opportunity to return Aol to growth," said Jim Lanzone, Yahoo CEO. "This transaction will allow us to focus more deeply on the ambitious roadmaps we have planned for Yahoo's core products, while ensuring that AOL continues to thrive under new ownership.