Phia, an AI shopping assistant co-founded by Phoebe Gates and her Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni, has recently achieved a valuation of approximately $185 million following a successful funding round that raised $35 million. The app, which launched in 2025, functions as a personal deal finder by comparing prices across numerous retail and resale platforms in real time, catering primarily to young women seeking efficient shopping experiences.
Phoebe Gates, the daughter of billionaire Microsoft founder Bill Gates, aims for her venture to be evaluated on merit rather than her family name, emphasizing her desire for independence in the tech industry. During discussions about her father's controversial associations, she refrained from commenting but acknowledged the need for strong teams in business, a lesson learned from her father. Meanwhile, her mother, Melinda French Gates, has made headlines regarding her divorce settlement and its implications.