Allbirds Rebrands as Smartbird, Pivots to AI Infrastructure
Allbirds has officially rebranded as Smartbird and sold its shoe business for $43 million, raising an additional $100 million to focus on AI infrastructure. New CEO Nadia Carlsten aims to build a new team and leadership for the venture, which seeks to capitalize on the growing demand for AI compute.
Key points
- Allbirds has rebranded to Smartbird and sold its footwear division for $43 million.
- The company raised $100 million and is shifting its focus entirely to AI infrastructure.
- Nadia Carlsten, formerly of AWS and DCAI, is the new CEO of Smartbird.
- Smartbird plans to recruit a new team and leadership, starting with infrastructure operations.
The direct-to-consumer company Allbirds has completed a significant pivot, rebranding as Smartbird and divesting its original shoe business for $43 million. The company also secured an additional $100 million in funding through stock market operations. This strategic shift redirects the company's focus entirely towards the burgeoning field of AI infrastructure.
Nadia Carlsten, an executive with prior experience at AWS and European compute company DCAI, has been appointed as the new CEO of Smartbird. Carlsten stated that her immediate priorities include recruiting a completely new team and leadership for the AI venture, emphasizing the need for roles such as infrastructure operations lead. The shoe business operations have officially ceased as of yesterday.
Sources
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