NEED TO KNOW
Phia, an AI shopping app founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, just announced $35.5 million in new seed funding from tech and celebrity investors
The app, which launched last year, has over 1.5 million users and 9,600 retail brand partners
Khloé Kardashian, one of many new celebrity backers, says she got the idea to invest from her mom and fellow investor Kris Jenner
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni have some exciting news about the shopping app they launched last year.
Phia, an AI-powered price comparison tool that aims to “reinvent shopping,” has received $35.5 million in new seed funding led by Notable Capital, Khosla Ventures, and Kleiner Perkins, they announced on Friday, May 29.
Along the way, Phia also attracted several new celebrity donors, including Khloé Kardashian, Alix Earle, Olivia Culpo, Paris Hilton, Mindy Kaling, Jessica Alba, Sydney Sweeney and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.
The company’s total funding now sits at $43.5 million thanks to the $8 million raised during their last seed round led by Kleiner Perkins, which also included donations from Hailey Bieber and Kris Jenner.
“My mom has always had an eye for what’s next, so when Kris Jenner invests in something, I pay attention,” Kardashian, 41, said in a statement. “I’m so excited to join her as an investor.”
Phia has grown to more than 1.5 million users since it was launched in April 2025 — and it was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of the year.
The app, which has over 9,600 retail brand partners, helps customers calculate resale value, find better-priced alternatives and track price decreases in real time.
“When I first saw what Phia was building, it really clicked for me. I’ve always believed in investing in pieces you truly love and will wear for years, not just for a season,” Alba, 45, said in an statement. “What I love about this app is that it takes the guesswork out of shopping — it gives you real transparency around value so you can feel confident in your decisions instead of wondering if you made the right call afterward.”
“As a female founder myself, I believe in the importance of women supporting women in business,” added Earle, 25. “I’m proud to back fellow female founders who are building forward-thinking companies and shaping the future of their industries.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Phoebe, the youngest daughter of Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, has known Kianni since their time at Stanford University, where they first got to know each other as roommates.
“AI is reshaping nearly every industry, but shopping is stuck in the past,” Phoebe, 23, previously told PEOPLE. “Consumers still waste hours comparing prices and hunting for deals, only to still end up overpaying.”
Read the original article on People
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.aol.com ’
