Allbirds

What Allbirds does

Allbirds, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIRD) was founded in 2015 in San Francisco as a direct-to-consumer sustainable footwear and apparel company, building a brand around proprietary natural materials including ZQ merino wool, TENCEL Lyocell (eucalyptus tree fiber), and sugarcane-derived SweetFoam EVA, with carbon footprint labeling on each product and B Corporation certification. The company went public in November 2021 at a $4.1 billion valuation, raising approximately $303 million, but never achieved profitability, accumulating roughly $419 million in net losses on $1.24 billion in cumulative sales as revenue declined from $298 million (2022) to $152 million (2025). In March 2026 the company sold its footwear brand and intellectual property to American Exchange Group and WSG Brands for approximately $39 million, closed all U.S. full-price retail stores, and revoked its public benefit corporation status. The remaining public entity rebranded as Smartbird, raising up to $100 million in convertible financing plus an additional $100 million from the stock market to pivot into AI infrastructure, specifically GPU-as-a-Service and managed private AI cloud offerings targeting mid-market enterprises in pharmaceuticals, energy, finance, and the public sector that are underserved by hyperscalers. The post-pivot business is pre-revenue, led by former AWS executive Nadia Carlsten as CEO, with no disclosed customers, contracts, or operational track record in data center or GPU cluster services.

Name

Allbirds

Legal name

Allbirds, Inc.

Website

https://allbirds.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Allbirds, Inc. (Nasdaq: BIRD) sold its sustainable footwear business in 2026 and rebranded as Smartbird, a pre-revenue public company pivoting to GPU-as-a-Service and managed private AI cloud infrastructure for mid-market enterprises in pharma, energy, finance, and the public sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Footwear

NAICS

Footwear Manufacturing (3162), Shoe Retailers (45821)

SIC

Footwear, (No Rubber) (3140), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Footwear (CRAAACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail (CRAMABAC), Running & Endurance Wear (CRAAAEAD), Outdoor Clothing & Footwear Retail (Camping/Hiking/Climbing) (CRAMAMAK)

Keywords

• Sustainable footwear
• Eco-friendly sneakers
• Merino wool shoes
• Direct-to-consumer apparel
• Natural material footwear

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Footwear and Apparel Sales: Allbirds generated revenue through direct-to-consumer sales of sustainable footwear and apparel, originally priced at premium levels ($100-$165 for shoes) targeting environmentally conscious consumers.
2. GPU-as-a-Service (Smartbird): Post-pivot Smartbird plans to generate revenue by providing AI compute infrastructure services, offering GPU clusters and data center space to enterprise customers underserved by hyperscalers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Allbirds designs, manufactures, and sells sustainable footwear and apparel made from natural materials such as ZQ-certified merino wool, TENCEL lyocell (eucalyptus tree fiber), and sugarcane-derived SweetFoam EVA. The company's product portfolio covers casual and performance sneakers (Wool Runner, Tree Runner NZ, Dasher NZ, Cruiser, Runner NZ Slip On, Mizzles all-weather), lifestyle collections (Varsity, Terralux leather alternative), and a complementary apparel/accessories range, all sold direct-to-consumer through the company's own e-commerce site and formerly through owned retail stores.

Product overview

Allbirds was a direct-to-consumer sustainable footwear and apparel company offering a unified portfolio of eco-friendly shoes and clothing. The core product lines included the Wool Runner (ZQ merino wool), Tree Runner NZ (eucalyptus TENCEL Lyocell), Dasher NZ (performance sneakers), and Cruiser (casual lifestyle), complemented by sub-brands like the Terralux leather-alternative collection and Varsity Collection. The company also offered an All-Weather/Mizzles water-repellent line and basic apparel/accessories. All products shared a sustainability focus using natural materials like wool, tree fiber, and sugarcane-derived SweetFoam. In 2026, Allbirds pivoted to AI infrastructure under the name Smartbird, selling its footwear brand assets to American Exchange Group and WSG Brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Runner NZ Slip On Lightweight slip-on sneaker made from TENCEL Lyocell (eucalyptus tree fiber) and recycled polyester with dual-density memory foam insole and sugarcane-derived SweetFoam cushioning; designed for casual everyday wear by individual consumers.
• Cruiser Signature classic court shoe with breathable TENCEL Lyocell upper, merino wool-blend lining, and SweetFoam sugarcane-based cushioning for urban comfort and everyday casual wear.
• Dasher NZ Collection Performance running and everyday sneaker collection designed for comfort and sustainability, part of the flagship Dasher NZ line.
• Tree Runner NZ Everyday sneaker made from eucalyptus-derived TENCEL Lyocell tree fiber with SweetFoam sugarcane-based midsole; positioned for casual daily wear.
• Wool Runner Classic wool sneaker made from ZQ-certified merino wool with SweetFoam sugarcane-based EVA foam midsole; the original Allbirds flagship everyday style.
• Terralux Collection Sustainable suede-alternative sneaker collection using Allbirds' proprietary Terralux material, designed for lower environmental impact than animal leather.
• All-Weather Collection (Mizzles) Water-repellent shoe line built with proprietary weather-resistant materials and construction, designed for wet and cold conditions.
• Varsity Collection Lifestyle sneaker collection combining comfort and style with sustainable materials for everyday wear.
• Apparel & Accessories Sustainable apparel and accessories including merino-blend sweatpants, wool socks, and long-sleeve tees made from eco-friendly natural materials, complementing the footwear collections.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced carbon footprint with sustainable materials replacing petroleum-based synthetics
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Exchange GroupcoreOthersAmerican Exchange Group acquired the Allbirds footwear brand and IP assets for $39 million, with plans to continue operating the footwear business under an asset-light licensing model, expanding into new product categories, retail channels, and international markets.
• WSG Brands (White Space Group)coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerWSG Brands serves as co-owner and operating partner alongside American Exchange Group, handling brand management and licensing while AEG manages product design and manufacturing for the Allbirds footwear brand.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Veja: French DTC and wholesale sustainable sneaker brand using natural and recycled materials (organic cotton, wild rubber, recycled plastic); competes directly with Allbirds on eco-friendly casual footwear positioning.
• Lambda Labs: GPU cloud and AI infrastructure provider offering GPU clusters and deep-learning cloud services; overlaps with Smartbird's GPU-as-a-Service positioning for enterprise and research customers.
• Atoms: DTC premium sneaker brand emphasizing comfort, sustainable materials, and direct pricing; similar D2C go-to-market and product positioning to Allbirds' casual sneaker line.
• Cariuma: DTC sustainable sneaker brand using organic cotton, bamboo, and bio-based EVA; competes head-to-head with Allbirds in the eco-conscious casual sneaker segment with similar premium-direct pricing.
• On Holding: Swiss premium performance/lifestyle footwear brand with sustainability positioning and DTC plus wholesale distribution; competes with Allbirds' performance and casual lifestyle segments.
• Rothy's: DTC footwear and accessories brand built on a sustainable materials platform (recycled plastic bottles) with strong direct-to-consumer chops; overlaps with Allbirds on eco-credentialed DTC footwear.
• CoreWeave: Pure-play neocloud GPU-as-a-Service provider serving AI workloads; most directly comparable Smartbird competitor given shared focus on GPU compute for enterprise AI customers.

Broad incumbents

• Adidas: Global footwear and apparel incumbent with major eco-positioned collaborations (Parley, Futurecraft Loop) and broad distribution that competes with Allbirds' premium sustainable positioning.
• New Balance: Major athletic and lifestyle footwear incumbent with growing sustainability commitments and lifestyle product overlap with Allbirds' core casual sneaker category.
• Nike: Global athletic and casual footwear incumbent with substantial sustainability programs (Move to Zero, recycled-material product lines) and the brand/pricing power Allbirds historically competed against.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/allbirds
• Facebookfacebook.com/weareallbirds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/allbirds

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds11 records

Investors25 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments6 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Allbirds