Vimeo, the long-standing video hosting and streaming platform, is set to transition into private ownership following a definitive acquisition agreement with Bending Spoons, a European tech company known for its portfolio of productivity and media platforms, including Evernote, WeTransfer, Meetup, and Brightcove.
Under the terms of the deal, Bending Spoons will acquire 100% of Vimeo’s outstanding shares in an all-cash transaction valued at $1.38 billion. Shareholders will receive $7.85 per share, a significant premium over Vimeo’s closing price of $4.82 on the day prior to the announcement. The stock surged following the news.
The Vimeo board of directors has unanimously approved the acquisition, which is expected to be finalized by the end of the calendar year, subject to standard closing conditions, shareholder approval, and regulatory clearance.
Once considered a creative alternative to YouTube, Vimeo has evolved considerably over its two-decade history. Originally popular among independent filmmakers and artists for its high-quality video hosting, the platform has pivoted toward serving enterprise clients, offering tools for video marketing, virtual events, and internal communications.
Vimeo has also taken a firm stance on content protection and data privacy, explicitly prohibiting the scraping of hosted videos or the use of its content for training generative AI models without the uploader’s consent. This policy has made it increasingly attractive to businesses concerned about intellectual property and data security.
In a recent strategic reversal, Vimeo began reintroducing its TV apps, two years after discontinuing them, a move that had been widely criticized by users and industry observers.
While the acquisition may offer Vimeo new resources and strategic direction, Bending Spoons’ history with previous acquisitions has raised concerns. After acquiring Evernote in 2022, the company laid off a majority of its workforce within a year. Similarly, following its purchase of WeTransfer in 2024, Bending Spoons announced plans to cut approximately 75% of the file-sharing platform’s staff just weeks later.
Given this precedent, industry watchers are closely monitoring how Bending Spoons will manage Vimeo’s operations, workforce, and product roadmap post-acquisition.
