Bird to go public via SPAC, at an implied value of $2.3B Bird, the shared electric scooter startup that operates in more than 200 cities across three continents, said Wednesday it is going public by merging with special purpose acquisition company Switchback II with an implied valuation of $2.3 billion. The announcement confirms earlier reports, including one this week from dot.LA, that Bird intended to go public via a SPAC. Bird said it was able to raise $160 million in private investment in public equity, or PIPE, by institutional investor Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC, and others. Apollo Investment Corp. and MidCap Financial Trust provided an additional $40 million asset financing. (Disclaimer: Apollo is buying Verizon Media Group, which owns TechCrunch.)