Allbirds, the company originally known for its sustainable footwear, announced on June 17, 2026, that it has rebranded to Smartbird and appointed Nadia Carlsten as its new CEO and board member, replacing Joe Vernachio [1]. Carlsten previously led Amazon Web Services' quantum computing center, worked at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and most recently served as CEO at DCAI, an AI infrastructure company that partnered with Nvidia and operates the supercomputer Gefion [1].
This leadership change and rebranding mark the latest step in Allbirds' dramatic pivot from shoemaking to artificial intelligence compute infrastructure and hardware. The company first surprised investors in April by rebranding to NewBird AI and announcing its shift to AI, which resulted in its market capitalization surging sevenfold at that time [1]. Prior to this, Allbirds sold its footwear assets to American Exchange Group for $39 million and closed its U.S. full-priced stores in February [1].
The market responded positively to these developments, with shares of BIRD soaring 34% on Wednesday following the announcement [1]. The company's transformation is part of a broader trend of firms pivoting to AI to capitalize on the technology boom initiated by ChatGPT's debut in late 2022. Other companies, such as Myseum, have also recently shifted their focus to AI [1].
Allbirds' journey has seen significant volatility; after going public on the Nasdaq in 2021 with a 90% surge on its debut, the company's shares have since declined nearly 99% from their November 2021 high of $577.80 due to increased competition and slowing trends [1].
CONCLUSION
Allbirds' rebranding to Smartbird and the appointment of Nadia Carlsten as CEO signal a decisive shift toward AI infrastructure, which has been met with strong investor enthusiasm, as evidenced by a 34% surge in BIRD shares. The company's transformation reflects a broader market trend of firms pivoting to AI to capture new growth opportunities.