Phia Revealed Celebrity Investors Behind AI-Shopping App's $35.5 Million Series A Round
Our take
The world of fashion and technology is witnessing a fascinating convergence, exemplified by Phia, an AI-powered shopping assistant that recently garnered a noteworthy $35.5 million in Series A funding. Co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, Phia is not merely another app in the saturated tech landscape; it represents a thoughtful blend of innovation and celebrity influence. The announcement of high-profile investors, including names like Khloé Kardashian and Alix Earle, underscores a significant trend: the intersection of celebrity culture with tech startups is becoming increasingly pronounced. This development aligns with our recent exploration of fashion trends in pieces like [The Runways Were Right: These Fashion Trends Are Dominating Spring And Summer This Year](/post/the-runways-were-right-these-fashion-trends-are-dominating-s
Phia, the AI-powered shopping assistant co-founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, just announced some major celebrity news. On May 29, the duo appeared on CBS Mornings and revealed the names of their high-profile investors behind its $35.5 million Series A funding round. A-listers including Alix Earle, Khloé Kardashian, Sydney Sweeney, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and more have joined Kris Jenner, Sara Blakely, Michael Rubin, and Hailey Bieber following the previous $8 million seed round led by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins in January 2026.
This new group of exclusive investors comes within one year of the app’s launch. Gates and Kianni — who met as roommates at Stanford — set out to make shopping easier. The name Phia comes as a nod to both of their first names combined.
The app, which already has 1.5 million users and over 9,600 retail brand partners, helps customers compare products across the contemporary, resale, and luxury markets to help shoppers confidently find the best price available. The goal? To empower users to make smarter purchasing decisions while reducing returns in the process.
“When we thought about who we wanted to raise from, [we thought] who are the tech entrepreneurs of today that we can really learn from to build this product? But also, who are the cultural icons in fashion [that everyone wants to dress like], who are really influencing taste and culture?” Gates said on the morning show. “For us, it was about bringing those people and getting them around the table to build what we’re doing with the future of shopping.”
Additional investors include Alexandre Arnault, Rachel Zoe, Mindy Kaling, Karlie Kloss, Cait Bailey, Jessica Alba, Shaboozey, Ashley Graham, Halsey, Jay Shetty, Wendi Murdoch, Olivia Culpo, Amy Griffin, Lilly Singh, The Nader Sisters, Chriselle Lim, Codie Sanchez, Zack Bia, Bobbi Brown, Sophia Amoruso, Winnie Harlow, Alex Pall & Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers, Lori Harvey, Leila Hormozi, Ice Spice, Gunna, Eileen Gu, and Paris Hilton.
The free app was named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025 and is clearly still holding onto that momentum. Phia is on pace for nine-figure sales growth this year — something that their new celebrity backers can only help. Phia is available for free on iOS and Chrome desktop at phia.com.
Read on the original site
Open the publisher's page for the full experience