Bending Spoons agrees to buy Eventbrite for $500M to revive stalled brand

Core Insights - Bending Spoons has agreed to acquire Eventbrite for approximately $500 million, significantly lower than its $1.76 billion valuation at the time of its IPO in 2018 [1][5] - Eventbrite's revenue has stagnated, with audited annual revenue remaining flat at about $325 million for both fiscal years 2024 and 2023 [5] Company Overview - Eventbrite was co-founded in 2006 by Julia and Kevin Hartz, and Renaud Visage, raising around $330 million in venture capital from notable investors like Sequoia Capital and Tiger Global Management during its private years [2] - Bending Spoons operates differently from traditional private equity firms, focusing on acquiring companies to hold indefinitely, aiming to make them profitable through cost-cutting, price increases, and new product features [3] Acquisition Details - The acquisition price represents about 1.7 times Eventbrite's trailing twelve months revenue of $295 million [5] - Eventbrite stockholders will receive $4.50 in cash per share, which is an 81% premium over the previous day's closing price of $2.48 [5] Industry Context - Other investors are also pursuing a similar strategy of acquiring and revitalizing stalled software firms, often referred to as "venture zombie" companies, including firms like Constellation Software and Curious [4] - Andrew Dumont, CEO of Curious, indicated that their strategy involves purchasing quality companies at low prices and quickly reviving them to achieve profit margins of 20% to 30% [4]