Allbirds

Allbirds co-founder Tim Brown[9] got the idea for the company while he was vice captain of the New Zealand football team. He had previously attended business school and used to make leather shoes for friends but was aware of how uncomfortable they were.[3] 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 $119,000 in five days.[10][2] After launching on Kickstarter, Brown teamed up with Joey Zwillinger, a biotech engineer and renewable materials expert.[10] The co-founders began developing their process and officially launched Allbirds in March 2016.[11][10]

During their first year in business, the company raised $7.25 million from investors including Maveron, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, and other firms.[12][4]

The name Allbirds is a reference to how New Zealand has almost no native land mammals. It was a land of "all birds".[13]

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 San Francisco headquarters, 40 employees at the Nashville warehouse and 350 contractors in a factory in South Korea.[3]

By October 2018, Allbirds sold a stake to investors at a valuation of $1.4 billion.[15][16]

In May 2020, Allbirds announced a partnership with Adidas.[17]

The company launched with one product, the Wool Runners, casual sneakers.[18] The company has since expanded to offer other footwear, including running shoes[19] and flip flops.[20]

Partnerships

Congressman Jared Huffman speaking at Allbirds in San Francisco in 2020.

Allbirds has collaborated with other brands to produce limited edition products, including Outdoor Voices and Nordstrom.[21][22]

As of January 2021, Allbirds has retail stores in countries including New Zealand, the United States, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, China and Japan.[23]