Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni transformed their Stanford dorm room into a startup incubator, following a tradition of many tech entrepreneurs. Initially roommates, they connected over their shared interests in activism and business, eventually focusing on the fashion industry. Both frequent secondhand shoppers, they noticed the extensive research involved in purchasing decisions. This inspired them to create Phia, an AI-driven shopping agent designed to streamline the shopping process by eliminating manual price comparisons. After initial setbacks, including rejection from an entrepreneurship class, they secured early funding from Soma Capital and a supportive Stanford professor. In 2023, they relocated to New York to officially launch Phia as an app and mobile browser extension, which debuted in April 2025. The platform quickly gained traction, amassing 500,000 users and over 5,000 brand partnerships. Phia recently raised $8 million in seed funding, led by Kleiner Perkins and supported by notable investors like Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, and Sheryl Sandberg. According to Annie Case from Kleiner Perkins, Phia is tapping into a market trend where consumers prioritize value and deals over brand loyalty. Despite the vast potential of the U.S. e-commerce apparel market, innovation in digital shopping has lagged. Gates and Kianni aim to address this gap by continuously engaging with users to refine their product. They describe Phia as a lab where constant experimentation is key to understanding and enhancing the shopping experience.
Did Phia, founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, secure $8 million in seed funding?
