Phoebe Gates, daughter of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, has stepped into the startup world with the launch of Phia, a browser extension and mobile app designed to make fashion shopping smarter, more sustainable, and more affordable for Gen Z consumers.
Phia, co-founded with Stanford University classmate Sophia Kianni, functions as a digital shopping assistant. The app says it tracks pricing data across more than 40,000 online retailers, surfaces lower-cost alternatives, and according to The Verge, it also highlights secondhand options from platforms like The RealReal REAL, Poshmark, and Vestiaire Collective. Phia’s goal is to reduce waste while helping users make more financially and environmentally responsible purchases, GeekWire writes.
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$850K in Early Funding From High-Profile Backers
Gates and Kianni, both avid resale shoppers, created the tool after growing frustrated with the lack of reliable pricing and resale discovery options online. According to The Verge, in addition to retail price comparison, Phia's “Should I Buy This?” feature evaluates whether a shopper is overpaying by using product data, market history, and resale listings.
Despite the founder's household name, Phia was not funded by the Gates family. Instead, Phoebe Gates raised capital independently, starting with $100,000 from Soma Capital and a $250,000 Stanford social entrepreneurship grant, GeekWire writes. After multiple rejections, the team secured an additional $500,000 in angel investments, bringing the total raised to $850,000.
Among Phia's early supporters are major names from fashion and media. Kris Jenner, entrepreneur and matriarch of the Kardashian-Jenner brand empire, publicly confirmed her role as an investor and mentor during an appearance on "The Burnouts," a podcast hosted by the Phia founders. Jenner's involvement adds visibility and strategic guidance as the company targets a younger, trend-driven demographic.
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Investor and business strategist Desiree Gruber, known for her work on "Project Runway" and as the CEO of Full Picture, also joined the funding round, she said in a LinkedIn post. Her post praised the Phia founders and celebrated the launch with enthusiasm, showing her strong support for the company's mission and vision.
In addition to Jenner and Gruber, Phia's advisory circle includes media executive Joanne Bradford and Spanx founder Sara Blakely, both of whom are serving as company advisors. Bradford shared on LinkedIn that she's been supporting the team behind the scenes over the past year on copy, product, and go-to-market strategy.
A Technology-Driven Approach To Conscious Commerce
Phia represents a growing wave of e-commerce tools that emphasize affordability without sacrificing ethics or style. By embedding into users' regular browsing experience, the app acts as a passive advisor, alerting shoppers to resale alternatives, sale opportunities, and pricing insights without disrupting their shopping flow, according to The Verge.
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Environmental sustainability is a core component of Phia's identity. In line with Bill Gates' well-known environmental initiatives, the app encourages secondhand shopping to reduce fashion-related carbon emissions and textile waste. While Phoebe Gates has leaned on her father for personnel advice, she did not seek financial involvement. "Luckily, it never happened," Bill Gates told Business Insider, explaining that he preferred not to play an oversight role in the company.
Melinda French Gates encouraged her daughter to raise her own capital, describing it as a growth opportunity. Phoebe Gates told The New York Times that the fundraising process was difficult but essential, adding that her mother "saw it as a real opportunity for me to, like, learn and fail."
Phia's Market Position and Growth Potential
Phia enters a crowded but evolving space alongside established price-comparison tools like Honey, Rakuten, and Capital One Shopping, The Verge writes. What sets Phia apart is its focus on fashion, its AI-driven resale discovery features, and its cultural positioning with Gen Z consumers.
The combination of venture capital, mentorship from high-profile investors, and a technology-forward product gives Phia a unique advantage in the e-commerce landscape. While still in its early stages, Phia's launch signals a broader trend toward merging climate-conscious values with consumer tech.
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