Electric sea scooter fellowship Bird is flying to the south for the wintertime , and it might be a very different kind of fowl by the time it returns . The Miami , Florida - based micro - mobility company known for take into account rumbustious , helmetless tocopherol - scooterists to fly down urban center streetsdeclared bankruptcyWednesday , saying it was entering into a process of “ financial restructuring ” while still keep its bikes and other scooter operational for now .
The companydeclaredChapter 11 bankruptcy , often called “ reorganization ” failure , where it also project to trade some of its existing assets to its existing lender . The society was quick to mention it would be “ maintain the same service for its riders and uphold its commitments to pardner city , ” meaning you ’ll still likely see scooteristszipping aroundMiami anda fewNew York City borough , as well as Springfield , Missouri and the large Toronto , Canada area .
Bird currently operates in many more cities in Europe and in Australia , though the caller ’s Asiatic and European contingents are n’t part of the U.S. failure proceedings . The company used to engage in many more U.S. urban centers , admit San Francisco , but it bring down its losses in that city last twelvemonth . The once - massive e - scooter startuprippedits scooters out of Germany , Sweden , and Norway in 2022 .
Bird Scooters still has a few partner cities in North America and is participating in pilot programs in places like New York City, but it has had to scale back operations in recent years.Photo: Carmen Whitehead (Shutterstock)
In the release , interim chief executive officer Michael Washinushi lay claim the companionship still reckon to “ make cities more liveable by using micro - mobility to reduce car usage , dealings , and carbon emission . ” Washinushi take over from the late CEO , Shane Torchiana , earlier this twelvemonth . Shortly after , the company wasdelistedfrom the New York Stock Exchange after going public in 2021 .
This is the same party that claimed itaccidentally over - reported its revenue for well-nigh two years . Last yr was especially hard for Bird withmore layoffs , as it tried to shake down retiring users for fare debts , some as diminished as $ 0.55 and $ 0.62 .
The companionship was once heralded by Time magazine as one of the top 50 “ Genius Companies ” back in 2018 and was a top startupvalued at $ 2 billionthanks to big - name investment . Just a year later , snort wasannouncing layoffs . Now Amazon has a $ 4.8 million title on the company for use of its Amazon Web Services client , agree to failure papers .
The companionship also owes millions on its rental for its Denver , Colorado business office outer space and more to other seller . Bird claimed on its Chapter 11 pattern it has between $ 100 million and $ 500 million in assets and within the same kitchen stove of liabilities .
The trouble with these dockless e - scooter rental companies is that while they predict to inspire the “ last mi ” commute with a sustainable , electric option , they also prove to be a nuisance in many cities , with bikes and scoter left around wantonly on street and sidewalks . They have alsoled to injuriesand some death , go toParis , France , banish rental electrical scooters entirelyearlier this class .
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