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

Jessica Herrin, founder of the online jewelry company Stella & Dot, has raised $5 million in seed funding for her new venture, Marklo AI. The company, established in 2025, offers AI-powered tools designed to assist consumer brands in planning and executing marketing campaigns.

The funding round was led by Forerunner, with participation from Freestyle Capital and several angel investors, including former leaders from Shopify and Klaviyo. Marklo leverages company sales, inventory, and past marketing data to help brands identify which products to promote and how to structure their campaigns.

The software analyzes the success of previous campaigns and suggests next steps, optimizing product selection and promotion timing. Marklo intends to provide marketing teams with clear insights and tools for campaign planning, content drafting, and task management.

Over one hundred brands are already piloting Marklo's software, and the company plans to make its service available more broadly ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season. The newly acquired funds will be used to hire additional engineers, further develop the product, and enhance customer support.