June 17 - Allbirds has adopted a new corporate identity, announcing a name change to Smartbird and installing Nadia Carlsten as president and chief executive officer, signaling the company's full shift from being a footwear brand to operating as an AI infrastructure provider.
Carlsten joins Smartbird with a background that includes roles at Amazon Web Services and work connected to AI and quantum computing through DCAI and the Alphabet spinoff SandboxAQ. The company said she has also served as an adviser to the World Economic Forum on computing and AI.
The leadership transition includes the departure of Joe Vernachio, who is resigning from the company. Annie Mitchell will remain in her role as chief financial officer, and Lily Yan Hughes has been appointed as the board chair.
Smartbird described its product offering as AI infrastructure delivered as a managed service, designed to reduce customers' upfront equipment expenditures. The company said it is engaged in active discussions with prospective clients and is in the process of designing its initial cluster deployments.
"With a differentiated strategy, significant capital, and the opportunity to build an exceptional team, we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on one of the most significant infrastructure opportunities of the next decade," Carlsten said.
The rebrand and leadership changes formalize a transformation the company outlined in April, when it announced a pivot toward providing cloud computing capacity and AI services. That announcement corresponded with more than a five-fold increase in the company's share price.
On the financing front, Smartbird said it has expanded a previously disclosed convertible financing agreement from $50 million to $100 million. The company had earlier indicated it planned to use proceeds from financing to acquire graphics processors.
Operationally, Allbirds has wound down most of its physical retail footprint and in March sold its brand and footwear assets to American Exchange Group for $39 million. The sale and store closures are part of the broader shift away from the company's former retail business.
This announcement outlines strategic, leadership and financing changes as the firm moves into the AI infrastructure space, while it continues early customer discussions and technical planning for its first deployments.