Allbirds’ AI Pivot Becomes Smartbird With No Team
by Michael Hicklen - 4 hours ago - 4 min read
Allbirds’ unusual move from shoes to AI has entered its next phase.
The former footwear company has sold its shoe business, raised new capital, changed its name to Smartbird, and brought in Nadia Carlsten as CEO to build an AI infrastructure business from the ground up.
The twist is simple: Smartbird has money, a public-company shell, and a plan, but the AI team still has to be built.
The Situation in One Look
| Detail | Update |
|---|---|
| Former company | Allbirds |
| New name | Smartbird |
| New focus | AI infrastructure |
| Shoe business sale | $43 million |
| New capital raised | $100 million |
| CEO | Nadia Carlsten |
| Previous role | Former AWS executive, led DCAI |
| Current challenge | Build leadership team, office, and AI operations |
| Target customers | Companies needing controlled AI infrastructure |
From Sneakers to Servers
Allbirds was once known for sustainable direct-to-consumer shoes. Now, the company is trying to become an AI infrastructure provider.
According to TechCrunch, the company sold its shoe business for $43 million, raised another $100 million from the stock market, and is now operating under the name Smartbird.
The move may sound surprising because Allbirds’ original identity was built around footwear, sustainability, and consumer branding. But the new Smartbird strategy is focused on AI compute, especially for customers that want more control over their infrastructure.
Nadia Carlsten Takes the Hardest Seat
Smartbird’s new CEO, Nadia Carlsten, started the role with a major task ahead.
Carlsten is a former AWS executive with an engineering PhD and previously led European compute company DCAI, according to TechCrunch.
Her first job is not scaling an existing AI business. It is building one. She told TechCrunch that the company is recruiting a new AI team, setting up an office, and looking for leaders in areas such as infrastructure operations.
That makes Smartbird look less like a normal corporate pivot and more like a startup with unusual public-market funding.
The Business Smartbird Wants to Build
Smartbird wants to provide AI infrastructure for companies that need direct control over servers running their models.
This is different from simply renting cloud compute from major providers. The target customer may be a business in a sensitive industry that cares about data sovereignty, custom deployment, and control over its infrastructure stack.
Carlsten pointed to industries such as pharmaceuticals, energy, finance, and the public sector as potential areas where this need could exist.
The company is not trying to win by offering the cheapest GPU time. Instead, it wants to serve customers that need managed, controlled AI compute environments.
The Market Gap Smartbird Is Chasing
The AI infrastructure market is crowded, but Smartbird is looking for a specific niche.
Hyperscalers like AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud offer massive AI infrastructure. Neoclouds compete heavily on GPU access and pricing. Smartbird’s proposed lane is more controlled infrastructure for organizations that may not want to rely fully on public cloud systems.
That market exists, but it is still developing. Carlsten told TechCrunch that many companies are still piloting AI tools, making it difficult to estimate the exact size of the opportunity.
A Pivot With Big Questions
Smartbird’s plan comes with obvious challenges.
The company has no full AI team yet. It is entering a competitive infrastructure market. It also has to convince investors that a former footwear company can credibly become an AI infrastructure provider.
There is also the brand shift. Allbirds was once associated with sustainability and public benefit goals. TechCrunch noted that the company’s public benefit corporation status was dropped during the pivot, showing how dramatic the change has been.
The Near-Term Target
Carlsten expects Smartbird to have compute clusters deployed for several customers by the end of the year, according to TechCrunch.
That gives the company a clear short-term test. It needs to move from AI story to actual infrastructure delivery quickly.
If Smartbird can sign early customers and prove that controlled AI deployments are valuable, the pivot may look less like hype. If not, it may become another example of a public company chasing the AI boom without enough substance.
Final Take
Smartbird is one of the stranger AI pivots of 2026.
A shoe company has become an AI infrastructure company. A new CEO has arrived. The old business has been sold. Fresh capital is in place. But the team and product execution still need to be built.
That makes the story interesting, but also risky.
Smartbird has a plan. Now it needs people, customers, infrastructure, and proof that the market actually wants what it is building.