Former All White Tim Brown could soon be at the helm of a multi-billion dollar stock exchange listing on New York’s Nasdaq.
The New York Times has speculated that footwear manufacturer Allbirds, co-founded by Brown and Joe Zwillinger in 2016, are considering a possible sharemarket listing.
Allbirds make environmentally-friendly footwear, made from New Zealand Merino wool and recycled materials derived from everything from sugar cane to fabrics made from eucalyptus trees.
The San Francisco-based company sells more than a million pairs of shoes a year and have become the footwear of choice for celebrities, sports stars and even former President Barack Obama.
Brown, who turned 40 last month, made 30 appearances for New Zealand, including being part of the team that famously beat Bahrain in Wellington in 2009 to qualify for the 2020 FIFA World Cup Finals in South Africa.
An injury before the World Cup Finals robbed him of the chance to take part in the tournament.
He was also a foundation player for the Wellington Phoenix, making 112 appearances and scoring 23 goals from midfield.
Since moving to the United States, Allbirds has been Brown’s focus as the company has opened 20 stores in the US, Europe, Japan and China.
Last October, when it raised $100m of investor capital, the business was valued at US$1.7 billion (NZ$2.4b).
While Brown has so far declined to comment on the speculation around a possible listing, his company released the following statement:
“Allbirds has always been focused on building a great company, and as a B Corp (diversity-certified) and Public Benefit Corporation 9a for-profit company that also has environmental and social goals), doing what is best for our stakeholders (planet, people, investors) at the right time and in a way that helps the business grow in a sustainable fashion.”
Photo: Tim Brown talks to marketers about Allbirds during a visit to Auckland.
