Dazzle AI, a new startup founded by entrepreneur and former Google and Yahoo executive Marissa Mayer, has raised $8 million in seed funding at a $35 million post-money valuation.
The round was led by Forerunner Ventures founder and managing partner Kirsten Green, with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Greycroft, Offline Ventures, Slow Ventures, and Bling Capital. The company said the financing will be used to expand its team and ready its first product launch in the coming months.
Founded in 2025 and based in Palo Alto, Dazzle AI says it is building tools designed to make artificial intelligence simpler and more approachable for everyday use, focusing on closing the gap between what people want to do and what they can do with AI. Mayer said Dazzle’s strategy is rooted in user-centered product design, and she framed the next wave of AI innovation as being driven by applications that translate advances in foundational models into tangible value.
Forerunner’s Green said Dazzle’s ambition is aligned with a broader shift toward integrating AI into daily routines in ways that feel more natural and useful to consumers.
KEY QUOTES
“Throughout my career, I’ve loved making complex technology more intuitive. With Dazzle, our goal is to make AI feel simple, helping people get more done and delighting them along the way. Now that foundational models have reached a level of consistent excellence, they’ve become a reliable infrastructure. The new frontier is applications—leveraging that power to create real, tangible value. I’m thrilled to be building something new alongside an incredible group of investors and partners.”
Marissa Mayer, Founder and CEO, Dazzle AI
“The builders of tomorrow’s winning platforms are not thinking in terms of incremental improvements or previous playbooks – they are thinking in entirely new ecosystems, with the courage to imagine paradigms that do not yet exist. As a leader, Marissa embodies the ambition and bravery that’s essential to taking this kind of big swing. We have barely scratched the surface of having AI integrated into daily routines in a way that feels human, enriching, and transformatively useful.”
Kirsten Green, Founding Partner, Forerunner Ventures
