Celebrity chef and restaurateur Tom Colicchio turned a little-known Italian tech company into his most profitable investment ever, scoring roughly a 15x return. Colicchio revealed the windfall in a recent interview, crediting early bets on Bending Spoons, a Milan-based technology conglomerate that reached a $11 billion valuation in October 2025.

The $710 million equity round closed at that valuation, valuing the company among Europe’s handful of tech decacorns—startups worth over $10 billion. Colicchio had invested years earlier, following the advice of a trusted source rather than relying on his own financial expertise. “Essentially, Bending Spoons covered everything else that I’ve done, and then some,” he told Fortune during a conversation in his office above his flagship restaurant in New York City.

Colicchio’s approach was simple: identify talented investors, follow their lead, and stay patient. He acknowledged he lacks the technical skills to evaluate tech startups independently but trusted those with proven track records. His early entry into Bending Spoons paid off when the company’s rapid growth and multiple product successes—including consumer apps and enterprise software—drove its valuation upward.

Bending Spoons was founded in 2013 by Simone Bovi and quickly expanded through acquisitions, building a portfolio of over 120 apps across gaming, productivity, and financial tools. The company’s strategy centered on scaling proven products rather than betting on untested ideas, a model that appealed to Colicchio’s risk-averse yet opportunistic investment style.

How Colicchio picked his winners

Colicchio said he never intended to become a tech investor. His investment philosophy stemmed from a pragmatic observation: he couldn’t evaluate startups himself, so he relied on others. “I don’t have the wherewithal to evaluate a company,” he said. Instead, he looked for people whose judgment he trusted and followed their lead. “My method was to find people who did, watch what they were putting in, and ride alongside if the conviction looked real.”

This approach led him to Bending Spoons. The company’s rapid rise in Europe caught the attention of Silicon Valley and New York investors, prompting Colicchio to join the early wave. By the time of the $710 million round, he had already exited, locking in gains that dwarfed his other investments.

What this means for celebrity investors

Colicchio’s story highlights a growing trend: high-profile individuals using access to credible deal flow to amplify personal wealth. Unlike traditional investors who rely on funds or advisors, Colicchio leveraged his network to access top-tier opportunities typically reserved for venture capitalists.

His success also underscores the role of European tech in global markets. Bending Spoons’ ascent to decacorn status reflects broader growth in the continent’s tech ecosystem, often overshadowed by Silicon Valley but increasingly competitive in scale and innovation.

The future of food and tech

Colicchio remains focused on the restaurant industry, where he built his reputation as a chef, judge on Top Chef, and founder of Crafted Hospitality. But his tech bet shows how industries once seen as unrelated can deliver unexpected returns. He suggests the restaurant business itself may be due for disruption, hinting that technology could play a bigger role in solving longstanding inefficiencies in food service, supply chains, and customer experience.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: Fortune
  • Published: May 16, 2026 at 11:30 UTC
  • Category: Business
  • Topics: #fortune · #business · #economy · #food · #chef · #cuisine

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 16, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

O cozinheiro estrelado Tom Colicchio, conhecido mundialmente por seus programas de culinária, não se limitou às panelas e frigideiras para construir sua fortuna: ele apostou alto no setor de tecnologia italiano e colheu um retorno impressionante de 15 vezes o investimento inicial de US$ 11 bilhões. A revelação, feita recentemente, coloca em evidência não apenas o sucesso de uma estratégia ousada, mas também o potencial ainda pouco explorado do ecossistema de startups europeu, especialmente no segmento de inovação tecnológica.

No Brasil, onde o mercado de capital venture tem ganhado tração nos últimos anos, a história de Colicchio serve como um exemplo de como investimentos estratégicos em setores disruptivos podem gerar retornos expressivos. Enquanto o país ainda busca consolidar sua posição como polo de inovação na América Latina, casos como esse reforçam a importância de políticas públicas e incentivos que facilitem o acesso a fundos para empresas emergentes. Além disso, a notícia destaca a crescente influência de investidores internacionais no ecossistema brasileiro, que, embora promissor, ainda enfrenta desafios como a burocracia e a falta de capital de risco local.

Se o modelo de Colicchio se repetir em outras frentes, é possível que mais empreendedores e investidores brasileiros passem a olhar com ainda mais atenção para o mercado de tecnologia, buscando oportunidades onde o retorno pode ser tão saboroso quanto o de um prato bem-feito.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

El chef estrella Tom Colicchio ha convertido un audaz movimiento financiero en un éxito estratosférico al multiplicar por quince su inversión inicial de 11.000 millones de dólares en una startup tecnológica italiana, demostrando que incluso los sectores más tradicionales pueden encontrar oportunidades de oro en la innovación disruptiva.

La jugada de Colicchio, lejos de ser un capricho, refleja una tendencia creciente entre inversores de diversificar sus carteras hacia nichos emergentes con alto potencial, especialmente en un mercado como el europeo donde la tecnología y la gastronomía comienzan a entrelazarse con fuerza. Para los lectores hispanohablantes, este caso sirve como ejemplo de cómo la creatividad financiera y la apuesta por startups con proyección —aunque sean ajenas a los grandes focos mediáticos— pueden generar rendimientos excepcionales. Además, subraya la importancia de identificar tendencias globales antes de que se conviertan en fenómenos masivos, un ejercicio clave en un entorno económico cada vez más volátil y conectado.