Bending Spoons Acquires Miro: A New Era for Workplace Tech Amid Valuation Shifts

September 15, 2026, 9:38 am
Vimeo
Vimeo
HostingMediaPlatformTechVideo
Location: United States
Employees: 1001-5000
Founded date: 2004
Total raised: $450M
Bending Spoons
Bending Spoons
Location: Italy, Lombardy, Milan
Outsports
Outsports
EdTechEventFashionHealthTechIndustryPlatformSocialSportsTechnologyTicket
Location: Germany, Brandenburg, Rüdersdorf
Employees: 11-50
Founded date: 2006
Total raised: $446.5M
Airtable
Airtable
Artificial IntelligenceBuildingBusinessDatabaseEnergyTechEnterpriseNoCodePlatformSoftwareSupply
Location: United States, California, San Francisco
Employees: 501-1000
Founded date: 2013
Total raised: $1.35B
Italian tech firm Bending Spoons purchased workplace collaboration platform Miro for $1.36 billion cash. This marks a stark 90% valuation decrease from Miro's $17.5 billion peak in 2022. Bending Spoons, a prolific acquirer, adds Miro to a growing portfolio including Airtable, Evernote, and Vimeo. Their strategy involves buying established brands, then implementing aggressive restructuring, efficiency drives, and monetization changes. The acquisition underscores a significant shift in the SaaS market, where pandemic-era valuations have deflated. Miro's $600 million annual recurring revenue makes the price point intriguing. The deal solidifies Bending Spoons' position as a major player in tech consolidation, reshaping the future of widely used digital tools.

A major tech acquisition reshapes the landscape of workplace collaboration. Italian holding Bending Spoons has acquired Miro. The deal is valued at $1.36 billion in cash. This sum reflects a sharp decline. Miro's valuation once soared to $17.5 billion. That was in early 2022. The current price represents a nearly 90% drop from that peak. This acquisition signals a new phase for Miro. It also highlights broader market shifts.

Miro began in Perm, Russia, in 2011. Founders Andrey Khusid and Oleg Shardin launched RealtimeBoard. It rebranded to Miro in 2019. The platform gained immense traction during the global pandemic. Companies worldwide shifted to remote work. Digital whiteboards became essential. Miro provided a virtual space for brainstorming and project coordination.

Miro evolved rapidly. It moved beyond a simple online whiteboard. The platform integrated with over 250 applications. Partnerships with industry giants followed. Atlassian, Cisco, Microsoft, and Zoom all connected. Miro positioned itself as an "AI Innovation Workspace." It offered AI assistants, automation, and prototyping tools. Connectors to GitHub, Jira, and Slack boosted its utility.

User numbers exploded. Miro's audience grew from 5 million to 30 million. This occurred in just two years. Paying clients increased by 550%. Today, Miro serves approximately 100 million users. Over 4 million are paying subscribers. The company generates substantial revenue. Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) approaches $600 million. Business and enterprise clients account for 90% of this figure. Miro also maintains profitability. It holds about $435 million in net cash.

The valuation journey for Miro has been dramatic. A $400 million funding round in January 2022 pegged its value at $17.5 billion. This was the pinnacle of the pandemic-driven tech boom. The market has since cooled considerably. SaaS companies face stricter spending controls. Organizations streamline software portfolios. They eliminate redundant applications. This environment pressured valuations. Standalone collaboration tools struggled to maintain premium pricing. They competed with bundled solutions from larger tech players. Canva, Figma, and Microsoft became formidable rivals.

Miro experienced internal adjustments. Its rapid hiring phase ended. Layoffs occurred. In February 2023, 119 employees, 7% of staff, were cut. Another 275 individuals faced reductions in October 2024. This represented about 18% of its workforce. By early 2022, Miro's staff had surpassed 1,200 employees. The company adapted to a changing economic climate.

Bending Spoons employs a distinct acquisition strategy. The Italian firm systematically buys established digital brands. Its portfolio is expanding rapidly. Just weeks before the Miro deal, Bending Spoons acquired Airtable for $1.28 billion. Airtable's peak valuation had reached over $11 billion in 2021. This pattern of purchasing assets at reduced valuations is clear. Other notable Bending Spoons acquisitions include Evernote, WeTransfer, Vimeo, Brightcove, Eventbrite, and AOL.

Bending Spoons' approach extends beyond mere acquisition. They implement aggressive post-purchase restructuring. Teams often face significant reductions. Development operations frequently move to Europe. Product offerings undergo substantial overhauls. Monetization strategies are intensified. Price increases are common. Evernote's annual subscription increased from around $100 to $249 for some users. StreamYard's basic monthly tariff rose 80%, from $25 to $45. WeTransfer saw approximately 75% of its workforce cut. Brightcove laid off nearly two-thirds of its U.S. staff shortly after its acquisition.

The Miro acquisition fits this mold. Bending Spoons aims for long-term ownership. They seek to optimize operations, technology, and marketing. AI integration is a key component of this strategy. Miro itself had moved deeper into AI. It acquired Reforge, a product growth platform, over a year ago. This move underscored its commitment to an "AI-first workspace."

The purchase price for Miro is notable. At an enterprise value of $1.355 billion, Bending Spoons is paying roughly 2.3 times Miro's annual recurring revenue. This is a conservative multiple for a widely adopted software platform. It signals a buyer's market for many tech assets. Some Miro shareholders show confidence. They will reinvest $295 million into Bending Spoons equity.

The deal remains subject to regulatory approvals. It is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026. Until then, Miro and Bending Spoons will operate independently. This acquisition marks a significant moment. It reflects a reevaluation of tech valuations. It also solidifies Bending Spoons' position. They are a powerful force in tech consolidation. The future of workplace collaboration tools will be shaped by such strategic moves.