Why Allbirds is shifting from shoes to AI

It was an announcement no one saw coming: Allbirds, until recently a highly acclaimed sustainable footwear brand, is exiting the retail sector and entering the race for artificial intelligence. Under the new name NewBird AI, the company plans to focus on powerful AI computing infrastructure.

From 4 billion to 40 million

What was once considered one of the most promising sustainable retail startups is suddenly diving into a market currently dominated by tech giants like Nvidia. Allbirds, however, was founded in 2015 by a former professional soccer player (Tim Brown) and a renewable energy expert (Joey Zwillinger). The merino wool sneakers grew rapidly, especially among tech professionals, and went public in 2021.