# Bending Spoons to Acquire Airtable for $1.28 Billion The software giant adds the database startup to its portfolio. - **Source:** [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com) - **Published:** 2026-08-04 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/f1a28d0e-b5a1-426f-ae34-793d64b3ea3d ## Major Acquisition Deal Bending Spoons makes its first post-IPO acquisition, purchasing Airtable for $1.28 billion in cash. Founded in 2013, Airtable has raised over $1.4 billion in funding to date. The company reached an $11 billion valuation peak in 2021 but was trading at $4 billion on secondary markets earlier this year. ## Valuation Decline According to Bending Spoons' statement, Airtable's current valuation stands at approximately $2.25 billion when considering cash and cash equivalents. This represents a significant drop from its 2021 peak. The acquisition reflects the broader downturn in tech company valuations. ## Growth and Innovation Focus Bending Spoons founder Luca Ferrari stated that Airtable is a pioneering brand redefining how teams organize data and manage critical workflows. He noted annual recurring revenue grew over 20% YoY to about $480 million as of June 2026, and the merger would accelerate innovation further. ## Airtable's Product Portfolio Airtable launched a new product line called Superagent in January - an orchestration platform helping users create teams of AI agents to complete tasks. CEO Howie Liu revealed the company serves over 500,000 organizations, including 80% of Fortune 100 companies. ## Bending Spoons' Growth Strategy Bending Spoons, which went public at an $18 billion valuation in July, typically acquires companies trading at significant discounts to their private valuations. It then reduces staff, streamlines products, and aims to run them profitably. Previous acquisitions include Evernote, WeTransfer, EventBrite, and Vimeo. ## Other Industry Acquisitions The tech sector has seen several major acquisitions recently, including Microsoft's $69 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard and Adobe's attempted $20 billion acquisition of Figma. However, some deals fail to complete due to regulatory hurdles. ## AI-Focused Future Airtable's Superagent product demonstrates its AI investments, which Bending Spoons is expected to accelerate post-acquisition. Industry analysts predict AI-powered data management tools will grow over 30% in the next five years. ## Market Implications This acquisition signals continued consolidation in the B2B software market. Large players acquiring smaller companies alters competitive dynamics. While more integrated solutions are expected for consumers, concerns grow about pricing policies and data security. ## Sources covering this story - https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/04/bending-spoons-to-buy-airtable-for-1-28b/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._