When Allbirds pivoted to AI in April, it felt like Silicon Valley had finally embraced its own meme culture. The shoe company, known for its eco-friendly kicks and laid-back aesthetic, now aims to become an AI infrastructure provider.

Nadia Carlsten, a former AWS executive with an engineering PhD, is leading the charge as Smartbird’s CEO. She has already shuttered the shoe business and is focusing on building out Smartbird’s leadership team. The company plans to offer tailored AI solutions for businesses that require control over their infrastructure, unlike the more flexible cloud services.

Despite its large seed round, the future of this new venture remains uncertain. Carlsten acknowledges that the market is still in its early stages and expects to deploy compute clusters for several customers by the end of the year. This approach may not compete directly with established players like Hewlett Packard or Equinix but aims to cater to specific needs.

The transition from a public benefit corporation to a pure business entity marks a shift towards traditional corporate goals, suggesting that sustainability commitments might take a backseat in favour of growth and profitability. However, Carlsten remains optimistic about the potential for Smartbird to carve out its niche in this competitive market.