What Sunken Stone does

Sunken Stone, operating under the brand Emplicit, is a full-service Amazon and TikTok Shop marketplace management agency founded in 2007 and headquartered in San Diego, California. The firm serves e-commerce brands selling on Amazon by providing PPC management, listing optimization, inventory management, and account health services, supported by a codified 4D Plan methodology (Diagnose, Design, Deploy, Dominate) comprising 67 strategies and 50+ marketing levers. Across 13 years, the firm reports serving over 450 brands, managing $100M+ in ad spend and $550M+ in client sales volume, with 40,000+ unique products under management. Notable client outcomes cited include 5x revenue growth in 3 months for AllGood, 4x growth in 1 year for Trtl Travel, and 210% total growth over 4 years for Just Thrive.

The firm's primary technology differentiator is over $700K invested in proprietary Selling Partner API (SP-API) tools and AI automation, which the company positions as a substantive engineering capability rather than generic LLM usage. It operates through US-based account managers across four US office locations (San Diego, New York, Chicago, Seattle) and is one of only five agencies accepted into Amazon's NSI+ referral program, providing a privileged inbound channel.

The revenue model is managed-services based: clients pay agency retainer fees (case studies indicate flat retainer structures even as client revenue grows), with engagements initiated through discovery calls on a quote-based pricing model that is not publicly disclosed. The leadership team consists of founder Adam Weiler (President, CEO, CFO) and co-owner Travis Schwartz (Chief Innovation Officer). The firm is privately held with no disclosed external funding or M&A activity.

Name

Sunken Stone

Website

https://sunkenstone.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Agency Management Fees: Full-service agency fees for Amazon and TikTok marketplace management. Fees appear to be service-based retainer arrangements, with case studies noting 'Agency fees stayed flat' during growth periods, suggesting flat-rate or tiered pricing structures.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sunken Stone is a full-service Amazon and TikTok Shop marketplace management agency providing end-to-end services including PPC management, listing optimization, inventory management, and account health management for e-commerce brands. The agency operates a proprietary 4D methodology (Diagnose, Design, Deploy, Dominate) backed by over $700K in proprietary SP-API tools and AI automation. It serves brands across four U.S. office locations (San Diego, New York, Chicago, Seattle) and manages over 450 brands with $100M+ in ad spend and 40,000+ unique products.

Product overview

Emplicit is a full-service Amazon and TikTok agency partner offering a unified platform of marketplace management services. The core offering consists of PPC Management, Listing Optimization, Inventory Management, and Account Health Management services, supported by the proprietary 4D Plan methodology (Diagnose, Design, Deploy, Dominate). The agency has invested over $700K in SP-API tools and AI automation built on Amazon's Selling Partner API. Services are delivered by USA-based account management teams across four U.S. office locations, supporting brands on Amazon and TikTok Shops marketplaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PPC Management

Quantifiable outcome

• 500% revenue growth in 3 months (from $35k to $165k monthly)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Amazon NSI+ Referral ProgramcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOne of five agencies in Amazon's NSI+ referral program. When Amazon needs to send a brand to an agency, they refer them to Emplicit. This is Amazon's official channel partner program for marketplace agencies.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Blue Wheel Media: Blue Wheel Media is a full-service Amazon marketing agency offering PPC, SEO, creative, and account management services to consumer brands on Amazon. Direct peer in the same Amazon agency category with similar retainer-based service models targeting mid-market and enterprise brands.
• Avenue Z: Avenue Z is a marketplace growth agency combining PR, influencer marketing, and Amazon/TikTok Shop management. Direct peer with overlapping service offerings in Amazon and TikTok Shop optimization, pursuing similar e-commerce brand clients.
• Quartile: Quartile is an Amazon advertising and marketplace optimization platform with agency-like services. Direct peer competing on Amazon PPC, DSP, and marketplace growth, combining proprietary technology with managed services for enterprise brands.
• Canopy Management: Canopy Management is a full-service Amazon agency providing brand management, advertising, and content services. Direct peer in the Amazon agency category with a similar value proposition of comprehensive marketplace growth support.
• Buy Box Experts: Buy Box Experts is a full-service Amazon agency providing advertising, content optimization, and brand management services. Direct competitor in the Amazon agency space, targeting similar enterprise brands with comprehensive marketplace management offerings.
• AdBadger: AdBadger specializes in Amazon PPC management and advertising optimization. More narrowly focused direct peer competing on the PPC and advertising portion of the Amazon agency stack, often partnering with or competing against full-service agencies.
• Pattern: Pattern is a leading Amazon brand accelerator and global marketplace agency that buys, distributes, and grows brands on Amazon and other marketplaces. Direct peer offering full-service marketplace management, proprietary technology, and brand-acquisition capabilities, competing for the same enterprise e-commerce brand clients.

Emerging players

• Carbon6: Carbon6 is an Amazon-focused technology and services company that bundles SaaS tools with agency services for sellers. Emerging player combining proprietary software (similar to Sunken Stone's SP-API tooling) with marketplace services, blurring the line between software vendor and agency.
• Helium 10: Helium 10 is a leading Amazon seller SaaS suite offering research, keyword, and optimization tools, increasingly adding managed services. Emerging player expanding from pure software into agency territory, competing for the same Amazon seller client base.

Broad incumbents

• Threecolts (SellerLabs): Threecolts (parent of SellerLabs and Jungle Scout) provides Amazon seller tools and agency services as part of a broader e-commerce software portfolio. Broader incumbent offering overlapping capabilities (PPC, listing optimization) alongside consumer-facing seller tools.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/emplicit_co
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCNo6TAyu1LVLHvTl2-XgUkA
• Facebookfacebook.com/emplicit.co
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emplicit

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sunken Stone