A startup can feel distant until the founder’s father answers support tickets like any other employee. Phoebe Gates has secured $30 million for Phia, a shopping startup. Bill Gates did not invest in the venture, yet he still stepped in. He lent time and experience, then took a customer service shift soon after launch. User questions helped him see what works, and where the tool can break. The new funding will test the product, not the family name.
How Phoebe Gates turned a $30 million round into a $180 million valuation
Phia just closed a $30 million funding round, and the price tag jumped with it. The deal values the company at $180 million. Phoebe Gates led the raise without a family checkbook behind it, since Bill Gates has not invested in the venture. Investors priced the product, not the surname.
That valuation marks a sharp leap, coming only months after the New York-based team finished its first fundraising round. The timing matters because AI agents now flood the market, and buyers have many options. With this round, Phia becomes one of the startups investors watch most closely.
Fresh capital lets the company scale support, polish models, and partner with more retailers. It also raises the bar, because higher valuations demand faster proof. The team now has to show that users return, and that the tool saves real money, not just clicks. Week after week.
Why Bill Gates backed Phoebe Gates with time, not money
Earlier this year, Bill Gates returned to startup life in a small, concrete way. In a LinkedIn post, he said he would work a customer service shift for Phia soon after launch. Phoebe Gates asked for help, and he wrote that “yes” was the only answer at her startup.
He framed the day as quick research. He said technology can make systems efficient, fair, and accessible. Breaks show up when you listen to users. He joined Phia’s customer experience team for one day and shared a clip from the desk. No promises, he added, just listening closely.
He also pointed shoppers to the free Phia iOS app at join.phia.com. Desktop users got a second option, because he promoted a free Chrome extension at gophia.com. He asked people to share feedback, reminding them that someone unexpected could answer the next customer service message.
How Phia’s AI agent makes shopping smarter and more sustainable
Phia presents itself as an intelligent shopping assistant, offered as an AI agent for everyday buying. Online shopping often feels messy, because search results scatter, filters fail, and prices change by the hour. Companies then spend on ads that reach people who never wanted the item in the first place.
The tool runs as a browser extension on computers and mobile phones, so it stays close to the checkout button. While a shopper browses, it searches for matching listings, compares prices, and surfaces real-time discounts. Phoebe Gates pitches it as a way to cut guesswork without leaving the page.
Secondhand choices show up alongside new ones, which helps people shop “green” without extra work. The system can also flag lower-impact alternatives, and it does so across thousands of online retailers. By surfacing best prices and reuse options together, Phia aims to make shopping smarter and more sustainable.
Celebrity backers and VC firms push the next growth stage
A pitch deck seen by Bloomberg suggests the investor list mixes celebrity fame with tech weight. Backers reportedly include Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, Sheryl Sandberg, and Spanx founder Sara Blakely. Their names can draw attention, yet they also signal confidence that the product can travel mainstream very quickly.
Major venture firms led the round. Reports name Notable Capital, Kleiner Perkins, and Khosla Ventures as key drivers of the financing. These groups have supported giants in tech before, including Airbnb, and they tend to push for clear metrics. That pressure can strengthen a young company from day one.
With that backing, the $30 million becomes more than runway. It puts the startup in a spotlight inside the booming AI market, where new agents appear every week. Phoebe Gates now has to balance speed with trust, because shoppers share data only when results feel reliable over time.
From a Stanford dorm pivot to 750,000 downloads in eight months
The idea started in a Stanford dorm room, long before investors piled in. Early sketches targeted a smart tampon. The founders then pivoted to fashion technology after friends hit price gaps online. The pivot kept the focus on daily friction, and it set Phia’s tone for shoppers.
A $250,000 grant from a Stanford social entrepreneurship program let the team go full-time. They used that support to develop the product and move to New York. Co-founder Sophia Kianni paused her studies, and she told Vogue she raced to learn the industry fast.
Momentum followed, with Phia saying the app reached 750,000 downloads in eight months. Phoebe Gates also kept school in view, after her parents urged a “side project” approach. She moved to New York, joined Stanford’s night program, and finished her degree in 2024. The schedule stayed intense.
A family test for a fast-moving AI shopping startup
Speed attracts attention, yet durability decides who survives the AI wave. Phia now has money to build, but it also needs daily proof from real shoppers. Bill Gates’ customer service shift shows a feedback loop that can sharpen a young product fast. Phoebe Gates still faces the harder task. She must keep the assistant accurate, keep recommendations honest, and earn trust across thousands of stores. If that happens, the brand will stand for smarter, greener shopping, not family headlines.