Hyper-local social · Started in Tucson, Arizona

A little more connected, right where you are.

Marla is a social feed for the few miles around you. Pick your circle and see only the people, places and moments that are actually nearby. No outside noise.

Join the waiting list For investors

Free at its core. People are never the product.

Social media promised connection. It gave us noise.

Feeds got bigger, louder and farther away. Strangers, bots and arguments from across the world crowded out the people a few streets over. Marla turns the volume back to local, so what you see is what's really around you.

How it works

Simple by design.

  1. 1

    Pick your circle

    Choose how far you want to see, like 2 miles. That circle is your Marla.

  2. 2

    See what's near

    Posts, events and shops from inside your circle only. Nothing from outside it.

  3. 3

    Meet the people around you

    The faces you pass every day finally have names, and the places down the road finally have a voice.

A morning on Marla

The crossing guard you finally get to know.

Every morning, Jim walks to his corner. One cold day, he records a quick hello for anyone nearby.

A mom a few streets away sees it over coffee and grabs the kids' coats. Twenty minutes later, she drives past his corner, and for the first time she knows who he is.

He was always there, trusted with the kids every single day. Now he's part of her morning, too.

That's the whole idea.

J
Jim0.3 mi away · just now
▶ 0:14
“Good morning, everybody. This is Jim. It's a little cold today, so make sure the little ones have their coats on.”
Shared with everyone within 2 miles

Local discovery

Find what's new down the road.

Open Marla and see what's actually happening nearby, whatever you're in the mood for.

  • 🌮 A new taco stand
  • 🏷️ A Saturday garage sale
  • 🐾 A pet groomer you never knew about
  • 🛍️ A sale at the shop on the corner
  • 🎶 Live music at the park
  • 🌵 Events this weekend
  • 🥯 Fresh bread, still warm
  • 🔑 Lost keys, found keys

For local businesses

For the shops that make a place feel like home.

Mom-and-pop shops shouldn't have to compete with giant ad budgets, or wonder if anyone nearby ever saw what they paid for. On Marla, the people around you see you because they're around you.

Join as a local business

  • Be seen nearby

    Your posts reach people inside their chosen circle, not a nationwide auction.

  • No bidding wars

    You don't have to outspend big companies to be noticed down the street.

  • Hear feedback privately

    You can set comments so only you see them. Concerns come straight to you, so you can make things right.

Our promise

Like a park down the street.

A free, open place where people come together naturally. That's what we're building, and here's how we'll keep it that way.

People are never the product

We don't sell your personal data, and we don't use behavioral ad targeting.

Free at its core

Posting, reading and meeting the people around you is free.

Your location stays yours

You join with a postal code, not GPS tracking, and we never show your home or live location.

Calm, not addictive

No endless scroll of strangers. When you've seen what's nearby, you're caught up.

A soft illustration of Tucson at sunrise: adobe homes, saguaros, a crossing guard walking kids to school and a little food cart

Proudly from the desert

Started in Tucson, Arizona.

Built under the same sun as the saguaros, by people who love this place. We're proud to start here, and ready to grow wherever people want to feel a little more connected.

Be one of the first in your area.

Marla opens area by area. Leave your email and postal code, and we'll let you know when Marla is ready near you.

Only news about Marla arriving near you. You can ask us to remove you anytime. Privacy notice

For investors

Invest in local connection.

Marla is building a social network that grows the way real communities do: one area at a time, with trust at the center. Our pilot is live in Tucson.

  • A real problem. Attention-driven feeds left people more connected to strangers than to the people next door.
  • A simple idea. Geography is the filter. Everything you see is close enough to matter.
  • A model that respects people. Local businesses gain real visibility, the core stays free and people are never the product.

Let's talk

Questions, answered.

What is Marla?

Marla is a hyper-local social app. It shows posts, events and local businesses only from inside the radius you choose, so your feed is about the place you actually live.

Where is Marla available?

We started with a pilot in Tucson, Arizona. New areas open as more people join the waiting list there, so adding your postal code really helps.

Is it free?

Yes. Posting, reading and connecting with the people around you is free. People are never the product.

How does the radius work?

You choose how far your circle reaches. Marla shows what's posted inside it and leaves out everything else. You can make it bigger or smaller anytime.

Do you sell my data?

No. We don't sell personal data or use behavioral ad targeting. You can read the details in our privacy notice.

Who can join?

During the pilot, Marla is for adults 18 and older. Marla is available in English and Spanish.

I have a local business. How do I get on Marla?

Join the waiting list and check “I have a local business.” We'll reach out when Marla opens in your area.

Your street, a little closer.

Join the waiting list For investors