Remember when AOL was the internet? That iconic “You’ve Got Mail” voice defined an era when dial-up connections ruled and getting online felt like magic. Fast forward to 2025, and that same company just got acquired by an Italian app developer you’ve probably never heard of.
Bending Spoons, the company behind popular apps like Remini and 30 Day Fitness, just made one of the most surprising tech acquisitions of the year. According to The Verge, the deal closed earlier this year, marking a major shift in how modern tech companies view legacy brands.
Here’s what you need to know:
- Bending Spoons is an Italian technology company specializing in mobile applications
- They acquired AOL from Yahoo in 2025
- The company’s portfolio includes hit apps like Splice, Remini, and 30 Day Fitness
- This represents a major consolidation play in the legacy tech space
Why an App Developer Wants a 90s Internet Icon
At first glance, this seems like an odd pairing. Why would a mobile-first company want a legacy internet brand that peaked decades ago? The answer lies in what Bending Spoons does exceptionally well: user acquisition and monetization.
Bending Spoons has mastered the art of turning apps into profitable businesses. Their secret sauce combines sophisticated user psychology with data-driven optimization. As TechCrunch reported, the company has consistently demonstrated an ability to identify and scale successful mobile products.
What they’ve lacked until now is brand recognition and trust. AOL, despite its faded glory, still carries immense brand equity with older demographics who control substantial disposable income. This acquisition gives Bending Spoons instant credibility and access to markets they couldn’t easily reach through their existing app portfolio.
What This Signals for Legacy Tech Investments
If you’re investing in technology stocks, this deal should make you reconsider how you value older tech companies. Many investors write off legacy brands as dinosaurs headed for extinction. But Bending Spoons sees something different: untapped potential.
The acquisition suggests that established user bases and brand recognition still have tremendous value in today’s market. Even if a company’s technology seems outdated, its customer relationships and brand awareness can be repurposed for modern applications.
Think about it this way: AOL’s technology might be ancient, but millions of people still associate the brand with reliability and accessibility. For a company like Bending Spoons that excels at product development but lacks broad brand recognition, that association is pure gold.
The App Playbook Meets Legacy Scale
Bending Spoons operates with a very specific playbook: identify proven app categories, acquire or develop superior products, then apply their optimization expertise to dominate the market. They’ve done this successfully across multiple categories from photo editing to fitness.
Now imagine applying that same methodology to AOL’s existing properties and user base. The potential for cross-promotion, user migration, and brand extension becomes enormous. Suddenly, those “aging” AOL users become valuable targets for Bending Spoons’ entire product ecosystem.
Practical Implications for Your Investment Strategy
So what does this mean for your portfolio? First, it suggests you should look more carefully at other legacy tech brands that might attract similar acquisition interest. Companies with strong brand recognition but outdated business models could become prime targets for agile tech companies seeking instant scale.
Second, it highlights the value of companies that excel at user acquisition and monetization. Bending Spoons isn’t just buying AOL for its technology—they’re buying access to users they can serve better than the previous owners.
Finally, this deal shows that the line between “old” and “new” tech is blurring. Successful companies today need both innovative technology and established distribution. The combination of Bending Spoons’ product expertise with AOL’s brand reach creates a powerful synergy that neither company could achieve alone.
The Bottom Line:
Bending Spoons’ acquisition of AOL isn’t just another corporate merger—it’s a blueprint for how modern tech companies can leverage legacy assets. For investors, it signals that brand equity and user relationships from older tech companies still hold substantial value when paired with contemporary product expertise.
The days of writing off legacy tech brands may be over. Instead, look for companies that combine the agility of modern development with the established trust of older brands. That’s where the next wave of tech growth might be hiding.
