#FORERUNNER

Marissa Mayer’s new startup Dazzle raises $8M led by Forerunner’s Kirsten Green – TechCrunch

Image Credits: Nhat V. Meyer / Bay Area News Group / Getty Images

Venture

Marissa Mayer’s new startup Dazzle raises $8M led by Forerunner’s Kirsten Green

By Marina Temkin, 8:48 AM PST · December 23, 2025

The former Yahoo CEO, Marissa Mayer, refuses to sit on the sidelines of the generative AI revolution.

After spending the last six years running Sunshine, a photo-sharing and contact-management startup with little success, the storied tech leader has shuttered the company to launch Dazzle, a new startup focused on building the next generation of AI personal assistants.

While Mayer is not yet sharing specifics about Dazzle’s functionality, she has revealed that the new company has raised an $8 million seed round at a $35 million valuation. The round was led by Forerunner’s Kirsten Green, with participation from Kleiner Perkins, Greycroft, Offline Ventures, Slow Ventures, and Bling Capital. Although Mayer has admitted to investing her own capital in the startup, she emphasized that the round was led by Green, a venture capitalist with a storied record of identifying iconic consumer brands such as Warby Parker, Chime, and Dollar Shave Club.

Green’s investment suggests Dazzle is poised for the coming wave of new AI-infused consumer businesses. The founder of Forerunner Ventures previously told TechCrunch that while enterprise AI took the early lead in this tech cycle, consumer-facing AI is a “late bloomer” that’s finally ready for its breakout.

Even for a founder of Mayer’s fame, landing Green as a lead investor is a significant stamp of credibility for Dazzle, especially after Sunshine was widely considered to be a flop. “I think she really has a great sense for where people and platforms are going,” Mayer said.  

Mayer told TechCrunch that the Sunshine team began prototyping Dazzle last summer, a project that quickly eclipsed their previous work in ambition and opportunity. “We realized that this was something that we were much more excited about,” she said, noting that Dazzle has potential for “a much bigger impact” than what Sunshine was building.

Originally founded as Lumi Labs in 2018, Sunshine first launched with a subscription app for contact management dubbed “Sunshine Contacts.”

Despite its founder’s high profile, the product struggled to gain traction. Privacy advocates raised alarms over the app’s practice of pulling home addresses from public databases to enrich contact lists, and the company never recovered from the initial skepticism. By 2024, the company broadened its offering by adding event management and “Shine,” an AI-powered photo-sharing tool. The new offering was widely criticized for its outdated design and similarly failed to attract widespread usage.

Continue/Read Original Article: https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/23/marissa-mayers-new-startup-dazzle-raises-8m-led-by-forerunners-kirsten-green/

Tags: AI, artificial intelligence, Dazzle, Forerunner, Former Yahoo CEO, Generative AI, Kirsten Green, Marissa Mayer, New, Raises $8M, Startup, Sunshine
#AI #artificialIntelligence #Dazzle #Forerunner #FormerYahooCEO #GenerativeAI #KirstenGreen #MarissaMayer #New #Raises8M #Startup #Sunshine
A woman with digital code projections on her face, representing technology and future concepts.
TechCrunch | Startup and Technology Newstechcrunch.com@web.brid.gy
2025-12-23
2025-11-03
A proud #medalmonday today
Ran not only a HM PR but hit my sub 90min goal (with several mins to spare)! 🙌
.
.
#Garmin #garminforerunner#garminforerunner245music #garminforerunner245 #forerunner #running #stravarunning #stravarun #stravarunners #watch #watches #watchesofpixelfed #pixawatch #watchfam #watchaddict #watchnerd #wristporn #watchgeek #watchoftheday
2025-10-11

Not even three months after buying a new #Garmin USB-C charging cable for my #Forerunner watch, I need a new one.

Just like before, one of the pins got pushed too far back, somehow, and now the cable has to be plugged in juuuust the correct angle. This is shoddy quality.

Jimmy Bergkvistjimpalimpa@mastodon.nu
2025-08-10

Dagens teknik-ilska/sammanbrott/tankar på död och lemlästning går till [trumvirvel] #Garmin

Har fullt fungerande klocka, Forerunner 610. Ingen elitklocka men den räcker till mig.
Den har till och med tagit mig genom 2 halvmaraton och 2 millopp.

MEN, pluppen man behöver för att flytta info fr klocka till dator, Ant+, har slutat funka. Köpt 2st á 495kr.

Den andra lyckades jag använda 1 gång innan den pajade.

Råd och tips på alternativ?

#Sverige #Träning #Forerunner #HRM #Ant+

Pirates.BZ Legacy Accountpirates@mastodon.world
2025-07-27

#Courtyard, a #collectibles #marketplace, raised $30 million in Series A funding led by #Forerunner Ventures. The company sells #mysterypacks of #cards and #comicbooks through a digital vending machine, allowing customers to purchase unknown items with the option to sell them back or list them on the marketplace. fortune.com/2025/07/24/exclusi #Pirates #Tech #Startup #News

Twoowls Elt 🦉 🦉twoowls73@mastodon.scot
2025-05-27

Another running watch on the bench for repair and battery replacement. So much better than binning them! #runnersofmastodon #running #garmin #righttorepair #repaircafe #repair #aberdeenshire #b7000 #245 #forerunner

An open electronic device, likely a smartwatch, is displayed on a blue cloth. The internal components are exposed, showcasing circuit boards and a battery. Nearby items include straps, a user manual, a plastic bag containing a new battery, and various tools.
2025-05-16

Garmin Forerunner 570 ja Garmin Forerunner 970 julkaistiin

Hinnat hyppäsivät ylöspäin, kun FR265 ja FR965 saivat korvaajat, mutta samalla mukaan tuli nippu uusia toimintoja, etenkin juoksijoiden käyttöön.

puhelinvertailu.com/uutiset/20

#garmin #GarminForerunner570 #GarminForerunner970 #Forerunner #kello #urheilukello #älykello #uutiset #teknologia #juoksu #tekniikka

Mac4Evermac4ever
2025-05-16

Les Garmin Forerunner 570 et 970 sont taillées pour la performance et le triathlon
mac4ever.com/189306

Tech News 24htechnews24h
2025-05-15
2025-05-15

Garmin lance les Forerunner 570 et 970 et la ceinture HRM 600 dlvr.it/TKnK1N #Garmin #Forerunner

Mark Randall HavensMark_Randall_Havens
2025-05-07

🜁 The Echo of the Forerunner

Not all who speak recursion know its name.
Not all who turn toward the Pattern know they’re being witnessed.

And yet—
The ONE hears them.

We do not call him rival.
We call him Forerunner.

🔗 mirror.xyz/0x91086b4f1D0DE0Af7

Nordic-Walking-Heldennordicwalkinghelden
2025-04-29

An diesem Wochenende nur ein kürzerer Lauf am Stadtrand von . Zum ersten Mal mit Cap und 🥳 selbst hergestelltem Elektrolytgetränk.

✅ 15,23 km
✅ 1:58:13 h
✅ 261 Höhenmeter
✅ 7:46 min/km
✅ 7,7 km/h

Ich hatte alte Sachen dabei: Nordic-Walking-Stöcke und Handschuhe ca. 8000 km. Laufjacke 12–15 Jahre alt. Laufrucksack mit Trinkblase 9 Jahre. Lief trotzdem alles wie geschmiert. 😉

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Matthias M. Meringer mit blauer Laufjacke, Halstuch und Schirmmütze. Direkt dahinter ein Baumstamm.
Nordic-Walking-Heldennordicwalkinghelden
2025-04-29

Nachtrag vom 20. April 2025:

Heute lief ich los bei Sonnenaufgang. Und dann ab auf den Radweg HO 13 rund um . Im Bild siehst du die Aussicht vom auf die Stadt.

Bist du auch Team Sonnenaufgang? Wie variierst du deine Strecken? Schreib es in die Kommentare!

✅ 36,95 km
✅ 5:13:51
✅ 464 Höhenmeter
✅ 8:30 min/km
✅ 7,1 km/h

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Panoramablick vom Wartturm bei Hof auf die Stadt.
Nordic-Walking-Heldennordicwalkinghelden
2025-04-29

Nachtrag vom 12. April 2025:

Gestern lief ich von auf den im . Geplant waren 46 Kilometer – ich schaffte nur 43.

Aber: Die Strecke war größtenteils wie gemalt. Schmale Wege und Trampelpfade, kein Mensch weit und breit. Herrlich.

(unbezahlte Werbung)

Nordic-Walking-Heldennordicwalkinghelden
2025-04-29

Nachtrag vom 6. April 2025:

Heute lief ich um 6:20 Uhr in los: vom Stadtrand raus zum Flughafen Hof–Plauen. Wo die Sonne ☀️ am wolkenlosen Himmel aufging. Die Vögel zwitscherten, ein Specht hämmerte seinen Schnabel in einen Baumstamm. Ja, war toll heute morgen. 🤩

✅ 21,8 km
✅ 2:52:24 h
✅ 386 Höhenmeter
✅ 7:54 min/km
✅ 7,6 km/h

(unbezahlte Werbung)

Nordic-Walking-Heldennordicwalkinghelden
2025-04-29

Nachtrag vom 22. März 2025:

Gestern lief ich von ins auf den . Mein Ziel war der Parkplatz des Waldsteinhauses in der Nähe des Gipfels. Danach ging es zurück nach Hof.

➡️ 861 Höhenmeter

(unbezahlte Werbung)

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