Stella & Dot Founder Raises $5M Seed for AI Marketing Startup Marklo

Seed Funding Secured

Jessica Herrin, known for founding Stella & Dot, has raised $5 million in seed funding for her new venture, Marklo. The funding round was led by Forerunner, with participation from Freestyle Capital and angel investors including former Klaviyo and current Shopify leaders. Marklo, established in 2025, aims to address marketing challenges faced by consumer brands.

AI-Powered Marketing Platform

Marklo's software assists consumer brands in planning marketing campaigns by integrating and analyzing data from various sources, including sales, inventory, and past marketing efforts. The platform identifies effective promotions, suggests future products to market, and utilizes AI to draft campaign briefs and organize tasks. It collects information from platforms like Shopify, Klaviyo, Attentive, Meta, and Google.

Pilot Program and Public Launch

Before its public release, Marklo's software was piloted by over 100 brands, including Away, Clare V., Monica + Andy, Maya Brenner, and Latico Leathers. The company is now making its software available to the public in anticipation of the holiday shopping season. The new funding will be allocated to hiring engineers, further developing the product, and expanding customer support operations.

Campaign Planning Capabilities

Marklo consolidates disparate sales, inventory, and marketing records into a unified calendar, allowing marketers to understand the impact of past promotions. It helps identify correlations between sales increases and specific marketing activities, such as paid advertising or social media posts. The platform then drafts campaign plans and creates tasks for teams, which can be reviewed, edited, and assigned. It also considers competitor promotions, social media trends, and inventory levels when suggesting marketing strategies.