Allbirds' Leap into AI: A Bold Move or Just Wishful Thinking?

Remember when Allbirds was all about those comfy wool sneakers? Well, forget that. The company just made a jaw-dropping pivot, ditching shoes for AI infrastructure. Rebranded as NewBird AI, the announcement sent their stock soaring over 800% on Wednesday. But by Thursday, reality set in, and shares slid back down by 30%.

A Wild Pivot

Allbirds offloaded its footwear business for $39 million last month. Now, they’re betting it all on AI with a $50 million convertible financing facility. This is a massive shift, entering a highly competitive space where even giants like CoreWeave face choppy waters. The hype is there, but is the substance?

Shay Boloor, a strategist at Futurum, didn’t mince words, calling it “one of the wildest pivots this cycle.” Daniel Newman, also from Futurum, echoed this sentiment, labeling it the “most ridiculous pivot” he’s seen. Let's be honest, going from wool shoes to high-stakes AI is a leap. The pitch deck says one thing. The product probably says another.

Echoes of Dot-Com Mania

This isn’t the first time a company has jumped on a hot trend to win back investors. Remember the dot-com bubble? Liz Ann Sonders from Schwab Center for Financial Research draws a parallel there. Companies once chased internet commerce just to ride the wave. Now it's all about AI and GPUs.

Mark Malek from Siebert Financial warns that this could end badly. Betting on endless AI demand might sound savvy, but history says otherwise. The burst will come, he insists. Fundraising isn’t traction, folks.

Realities of the AI Game

The skepticism is palpable, and for good reason. William Blair analysts dropped coverage of Allbirds post-pivot, describing the move as a Hail Mary. NewBird's $50 million is a drop in the bucket when giants spend billions in capex. Are they truly equipped to compete?

Citrini, a research firm, joked about the stock’s volatile rise, highlighting the market’s risky exuberance. When a company can add $127 million in market cap by announcing a pivot, something’s off. The real story here's whether anyone’s actually using this product or if it’s all just smoke and mirrors.

So, what should investors do? Take a deep breath and remember: the founder story is interesting. But the metrics, especially in AI, are much more interesting.