Allbirds, Inc. is a New Zealand and American company that sells
footwear and apparel.[2] The company claims to keep its products as eco-friendly as possible and is a
certified B Corporation.[3][4][5] Allbirds uses a direct-to-consumer model in conjunction with distribution via select additional stores, selling its products through its website and retail stores in addition to select
Nordstrom and
Dick's Sporting Goods locations. [6][7]
History
Allbirds co-founder
Tim Brown got the idea for the company while he was vice captain of the New Zealand football team.[8] He had previously attended business school and used to make leather shoes for friends but was aware of how uncomfortable they were.[9] In 2014, he received a
research grant from the New Zealand wool industry to engineer a
sneaker. He then launched his idea on
Kickstarter, raising US$119,000 in five days.[10][2] After launching on Kickstarter, Brown teamed up with Joey Zwillinger, a
biotech engineer and
renewable materials expert. They began developing their process and officially launched Allbirds in March 2016.[11][10] The name Allbirds is a reference to New Zealand having almost no native land mammals, being a land of "all birds".[12]
During their first year in business, the company raised US$7.25 million from investors including
Maveron, Lerer Hippeau Ventures and other firms.[13][4] In December 2017, Allbirds sued
Steve Madden, alleging that the company's Traveler shoes look nearly identical to its Wool Runners.[14]
As of 2017, the company had 50 employees in their headquarters in San Francisco, US; 40 employees at its warehouse in Nashville, US; and 350 contractors in a factory in South Korea.[9] In the end of 2017 the company launched in Australia.[15] In October 2018, the company raised US$50 million in Series C funding, bringing its total valuation to US$1.4 billion.[16] The company went public on the
Nasdaq on 3 November 2021 under the ticker symbol BIRD.[17]
Products
The company launched with one product, the Wool Runners casual sneakers.[18] The company has since expanded to offer other footwear, including running shoes and flip flops as well as apparel.[19][20]
In 2018, New Zealand Prime Minister
Jacinda Ardern gifted Australian Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull a pair of Allbirds sneakers during a state visit to Australia.[21]
Allbirds has collaborated with other brands to produce limited edition products, including
Outdoor Voices and
Nordstrom.[22][23] In May 2020, Allbirds announced a partnership with
Adidas.[24]