No, It’s not Bird Scooters. Meet the new Bird, previously known as MessageBird, an Amsterdam-based tech powerhouse. After securing the Bird.com domain for a hefty sum years ago, the company unveils its new identity.
In 2011, Adriaan Mol and Robert Vis launched this enterprise-grade cloud communications platform. Now, Bird is rolling out innovative products and cutting prices sharply to challenge Twilio and others in the space.
Over a call, Vis shared, “Our strategy was clear from the start, long before the scooter firm’s downfall. I aim to create a lasting legacy, a company that endures for decades, unlike the fleeting scooter business.”
Bird is revolutionizing CRM for marketing, sales, and payments across email, SMS, and WhatsApp, offering discounts between 40-90%. They announced a 90% discount on SMS, aiming to undercut the competition.
Echoing Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, “Your margins are my opportunity,” Bird targets Twilio’s $1.3 billion SMS profit, intending to slash it to nothing. Vis hinted at this bold strategy back in 2016 at YC Demo Day.
This pricing strategy significantly lowers costs for businesses, turning a potential $100,000 expense with firms like Twilio into just $10,000.
Vis emphasized, “We’re drastically reducing prices. We aim to transcend the commoditized API provider space. The key isn’t the communication channel itself but what you can achieve with it. We’re essentially offering channel access for free, a move that might unsettle pure channel providers. However, for those adding value beyond the channel, this is where the future lies.”
In a blog, Vis elaborated, “It’s not just about API layers anymore. AI has transformed the landscape. The next decade will focus on combining infrastructure with applications, leveraging what you can do with the channel rather than just accessing it.”
Vis also caught attention on LinkedIn, seeking acquisitions of companies with EMI or PI licenses amid a busy week.
As Bird reinvents itself, the original scooter-sharing Bird has declared bankruptcy, marking a clear distinction between the two entities.
Bird’s Expansion and Innovation
Building on its legacy as a cloud communications platform, Bird is expanding its horizons by rolling out innovative products beyond traditional SMS and email services. With a focus on revolutionizing CRM for marketing, sales, and payments across various channels, including WhatsApp, Bird aims to provide comprehensive solutions for businesses’ communication needs.