Marissa Mayer, the former Yahoo CEO, is not content to watch the generative AI revolution from a distance. Following six years at the helm of Sunshine—a photo-sharing and contact-management startup that saw limited success—the prominent tech executive has closed that company to introduce Dazzle, a new venture dedicated to creating advanced AI personal assistants.

While specific details about Dazzle’s features remain under wraps, Mayer has disclosed that the startup secured an $8 million seed round at a $35 million valuation. The funding was spearheaded by Kirsten Green of Forerunner, with additional investment from Kleiner Perkins, Greycroft, Offline Ventures, Slow Ventures, and Bling Capital.

Mayer acknowledged contributing her own capital but stressed that Green led the round. Green’s track record includes backing standout consumer brands like Warby Parker, Chime, and Dollar Shave Club, and her involvement signals that Dazzle is well-positioned for the emerging wave of AI-driven consumer businesses. For a founder of Mayer’s stature, securing Green as the lead investor marks a notable vote of confidence, particularly after Sunshine was largely viewed as unsuccessful.

“I think she really has a great sense for where people and platforms are going,” Mayer remarked. She added that the team recognized Dazzle as a venture they were “much more excited about,” with the potential for “a much bigger impact” compared to Sunshine’s scope.

Originally established as Lumi Labs in 2018, Sunshine debuted with a subscription-based contact management app called “Sunshine Contacts.” Despite Mayer’s high profile, the product failed to gain momentum. Privacy concerns emerged over the app’s method of extracting home addresses from public databases to enhance contact lists, and the company never overcame the initial skepticism.

By 2024, the company expanded its services to include event management and “Shine,” an AI-powered photo-sharing tool. However, the new offering faced criticism for its dated design and similarly struggled to attract a broad user base.

Sunshine raised a total of $20 million from investors such as Felicis, Norwest Venture Partners, and Unusual Ventures. Upon the company’s dissolution, investors received 10% equity in Dazzle, according to Mayer.

Reflecting candidly on Sunshine’s challenges, Mayer admitted the problems it addressed were too “mundane” and not sufficiently ambitious. “I don’t think we got it to the state of overall polish and accessibility that I really wanted it to be,” she noted.

Mayer now believes the lessons from Sunshine will inform the development of a more resilient and influential business with Dazzle. Prior to her role as Yahoo CEO, she was Google’s 20th employee, contributing to the design of Google Search’s look and feel and overseeing projects like Google Maps and AdWords.

“Yahoo, for many, defined the internet. Google, in terms of Search and Maps, changed everything. I really aspire to build a product that has that kind of impact again,” she stated.

Dazzle is anticipated to emerge from stealth mode early next year. Its website, dazzle.ai, is currently password-protected and inaccessible to the public.