Phoebe Gates, the youngest daughter of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and philanthropist Melinda French Gates, is stepping into the tech world with a new venture aimed at transforming how people shop for fashion online. Alongside her co-founder and former Stanford roommate Sophia Kianni, Gates has launched Phia, a free AI-powered shopping tool designed to help users find the best prices on clothing and accessories across the internet, including the booming secondhand market.
The launch of Phia marks Gates’s significant move into the entrepreneurial space, a path her father famously took decades ago with Microsoft. However, unlike her father’s decision to drop out of Harvard, Gates completed her degree in human biology at Stanford University before fully committing to the startup world. This decision, she shared in recent interviews, came with encouragement from both of her parents, who stressed the importance of finishing her education.
Phia is available as an iOS app and a Chrome browser extension. Its core function is to act as a personal shopping assistant, leveraging artificial intelligence to scan over 40,000 retail and resale websites. When a user is viewing a fashion item online, they can use the Phia tool to instantly compare prices for that item across various platforms. The app provides insights on whether the listed price is high, typical, or fair, and crucially, it surfaces better-priced alternatives, including identical items available secondhand.
The inspiration for Phia stemmed from Gates and Kianni’s own experiences as avid online shoppers frustrated by the time and effort required to find the best deals and navigate the vast landscape of e-commerce and resale sites. They saw a need for a more efficient and transparent way to shop, one that puts the power back in the consumer’s hands. “Shopping for the things you love shouldn’t be hard, expensive, or a waste of time,” Gates and Kianni said in a statement. “That’s why we built Phia—to make finding the best deal effortless.”
Beyond just saving money, Phia also promotes a more sustainable approach to fashion consumption. By integrating a vast database of over 250 million secondhand items from major platforms like The RealReal, Vestiaire Collective, Poshmark, eBay, and ThredUp, the app makes it easier for users to choose pre-owned options, which generally have a lower environmental impact than purchasing new items. This focus on sustainability aligns with growing consumer interest, particularly among younger generations, in making more conscious purchasing decisions.
The development of Phia has already attracted attention and investment, including backing from notable figures like Kris Jenner. The co-founders have also launched a podcast, “The Burnouts,” where they discuss their journey as first-time founders and touch on broader topics relevant to their generation.
Gates has been open about the pressures and perceptions that come with her last name. She has acknowledged the “nepo baby” label but expressed a strong desire to build her own identity and prove herself through her work. She sees Phia as an opportunity to create something meaningful that addresses a real need for consumers while also promoting values like affordability and sustainability.
Building Phia involved assembling a team with experience from established tech companies. The platform’s ability to quickly compare prices across such a wide range of sites, including both traditional retail and the complex secondhand market, relies on sophisticated AI and a patented technology. Phia aims to cut through the noise of online shopping, offering a simple, one-click solution to help users make informed decisions and avoid overpaying.
The launch of Phia enters a competitive e-commerce landscape. However, Gates and Kianni believe their focus on price comparison across both new and used items, coupled with an intuitive, ad-free user experience, sets them apart. They describe Phia as being like “Google Flights for fashion,” providing comprehensive options in one place.
For consumers navigating the overwhelming world of online fashion, a tool like Phia could become a valuable ally. It promises to simplify the search for the best prices, encourage more sustainable shopping habits, and ultimately, help people feel more confident and in control of their purchasing decisions. Phoebe Gates, with her prominent background and a clear vision, is now testing whether this AI-powered approach can truly revolutionize how we shop for clothes.
