Bird, Once a $2.5 Billion Scooter Unicorn, Files for Bankruptcy

Bird, the electric scooter company that helped define the shared micromobility boom, has filed for bankruptcy. The move marks a stark reversal for a business that was once valued at roughly $2.5 billion and seemed to symbolize the promise of app-based urban transport.

The filing caps a difficult stretch for Bird and much of the shared scooter sector. Operators have wrestled with thinning margins, costly fleet maintenance and replacement, and a patchwork of city rules that vary from one market to the next. At the same time, riders have pulled back on discretionary spending, making it harder to justify the heavy spending that came with rapid expansion.

The bankruptcy raises fresh questions about whether scooter sharing can work as a standalone business, or whether it must be folded into broader transit networks to survive. For Bird, the priority now shifts from growth to restructuring.