Berkshire has put $930 million into Bending Spoons since July for a 4% stake
Berkshire Hathaway agreed to buy 10 million new Bending Spoons shares at $33, a $330 million private placement that lifts its stake to 4%. CNBC reported the shares rose 35% on the filing, so the $33 price was set before the market reacted.
The Investor · Invest desk
Berkshire Hathaway agreed to invest $330 million more in Bending Spoons in a private placement, after investing $600 million at the company's July IPO. The 10 million new shares are priced at $33 apiece.
| Figure | Value | Note | Claim |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berkshire's new private placement, agreed | $330 million | 1 | |
| Invested at July IPO | $600 million | 8 | |
| Price per new share | $33 | 2 |
What happened
- Berkshire's first purchase was $600 million at the July IPO of the Milan-based company.
- The placement is private, was announced in a company statement on Wednesday, and still has to meet customary closing conditions.
- Startup.eu lists Airtable, AOL, Brightcove, Eventbrite, Evernote, Tractive, Vimeo and WeTransfer in the Bending Spoons portfolio.
- CNBC noted the purchase comes in the year Greg Abel took over as Berkshire CEO from Warren Buffett.
Why it matters
- cost Existing shareholders are diluted by 10 million new shares, all of them placed with Berkshire and none offered to other investors.
- contradiction Bloomberg says the money lets the company pursue acquisitions, but Patarnello's wording is "financial flexibility" inside a "broader financing strategy", a looser commitment.
- capability With one committed buyer at a fixed $33 and only customary closing conditions, Bending Spoons can bid on a target without first running a marketed offering.
Add the July ticket to this one and Berkshire's total is $930 million [13]. The new cheque is 55% the size of the first [14], and it came three months after the listing [1].
The 4% stake the filing reports [7] gives a crude size for the company. If $930 million bought 4%, the whole business is valued at about $23 billion at Berkshire's blended cost [15]; because 4% is a rounded figure, a true stake of 4.5% puts that near $20.7 billion and 3.5% near $26.6 billion [16]. None of the three reports gives the July IPO price or the stock's close before the filing, so the blend cannot be split between the two purchases.
The missing prices decide whether $33 was cheap. CNBC reported that the shares rose 35% after the filing revealed the deal [11], and the $33 was already fixed in the agreement [2]. Suppose, as an assumption and not a reported fact, that the stock stood at $33 beforehand. It would now be near $44.55 [18], and Berkshire's 10 million shares would be worth about $445.5 million against $330 million paid, a paper gain of $115.5 million [19]. If the stock was below $33, Berkshire paid up for a name the market then rewarded; if it was above, Berkshire bought at a discount.
We think the cash will go to deals, because the company's record points that way. Bending Spoons says it has followed an acquisition-led strategy for more than a decade and has not sold a material business in that time [10]. With no disposal proceeds to draw on, outside equity is one source of cash for the next purchase, and Francesco Patarnello, the co-founder and head of business acquisitions, said "Bending Spoons continuously evaluates M&A opportunities, and our pipeline remains strong" [4].
The view can fail in two places. The 35% move may reflect the Berkshire name more than the business, in which case it fades without a deal to point to. And $330 million is about 1.4% of an implied $23 billion company [17], so the money may sit as a cushion and never fund anything large. If Bending Spoons announces no acquisition within two quarters, we are wrong.
What to watch
- The first acquisition Bending Spoons announces after the placement closes, and its price against the $330 million raised.
- Berkshire's next filing, to see whether its 4% stake moves.
- Any Bending Spoons disclosure of the July IPO price or the pre-announcement close, to settle whether $33 was a premium or a discount.
Clarity's read
What the record supports and how the coverage leans. The claims behind it follow.
Reality
- Evidence72
- Adoption
- Insufficient
- Hype gap+10
- Incentives55
- Confidence75
Perspective Coverage
3 publishers- Builder
- Builder 15%
- Operator
- Operator 28%
- Investor
- Investor 57%
Claim ledger
Ranked by verification strength, evidence, and original report placement.
- [1]
Berkshire Hathaway agreed to invest an additional $330 million in Bending Spoons, bringing its stake in the Italian technology company to 4% three months after backing its initial public offering.
- [2]
Bending Spoons will issue 10 million ordinary shares to Berkshire at $33 apiece.
- [3]
The deal is a private placement announced in a company statement on Wednesday and remains subject to customary closing conditions.
- [4]
"Bending Spoons continuously evaluates M&A opportunities, and our pipeline remains strong," said Francesco Patarnello, co-founder and head of business acquisitions at Bending Spoons.
- [5]
Patarnello also said: "We believe Berkshire Hathaway's investment reflects confidence in our team and Platform and will further enhance our financial flexibility and ability to pursue attractive acquisitions as part of our broader financing strategy."
- [6]
Bloomberg wrote that the investment gives Bending Spoons more capital to pursue acquisitions.
- [7]
The investment brings Berkshire's stake in Bending Spoons to 4%, according to the filing.
- [8]
Berkshire previously invested $600 million in Bending Spoons at its July IPO; the company is Milan-based.
- [9]
Bending Spoons' portfolio includes Airtable, AOL, Brightcove, Eventbrite, Evernote, Tractive, Vimeo and WeTransfer.
- [10]
Bending Spoons said it has followed its acquisition-led strategy for more than a decade and has not sold a material business during that period.
- [11]
Shares of Bending Spoons rose 35% after a new securities filing revealed Berkshire's fresh $330 million investment.
- [12]
Greg Abel took the helm as Berkshire CEO from Warren Buffett at the start of the year.
- [13]
Berkshire's total invested in Bending Spoons since July is $930 million.
- [14]
The new $330 million investment is 55% the size of the July $600 million investment.
- [15]
If $930 million bought exactly 4%, Bending Spoons is valued at about $23 billion at Berkshire's blended cost.
- [16]
Because 4% is rounded, a true stake of 4.5% implies about $20.7 billion and a true stake of 3.5% implies about $26.6 billion at blended cost.
- [17]
The $330 million placement is about 1.4% of an implied $23 billion company value.
- [18]
If the stock stood at $33 before the filing, a 35% rise puts it near $44.55. This is an illustration, not a reported price.
- [19]
On that assumption, Berkshire's 10 million shares would be worth about $445.5 million against $330 million paid, a paper gain of $115.5 million.
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Sources
3 independent publishers whose own reporting we read for this story.
- cnbc.comBending Spoons skyrockets 35% as Berkshire Hathaway makes $330 million investment
1 article · October 14, 2026
- finance.yahoo.comBerkshire Invests Another $330 Million in Bending Spoons
1 article · October 14, 2026
- startup.euBerkshire Hathaway adds $330 million to Bending Spoons in private placement, lifting its stake to 4% - Startup.eu - Startup.eu
1 article
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Topics
- Private Placements and Primary IssuanceFollow
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- Technology acquisitionsFollow