In what could be a guest list for a glitzy Hollywood event, shopping app Phia recently shared on social media the star-studded list of celebrity investors coming off of their latest round of Series A funding, which raised USD35.5M for the tech start-up.
Bill Gates' daughter Pheobe, and her fellow Stanford alum Sophia Kiannia first launched Phia in 2025, with the goal of reinventing the way consumers shop. With the help of AI, the app works as an aggregator - comparing prices and summarizing product details across over thousands of retailers and resellers. It also allows for improved brand discoverability and retargeting - which can be a boon for new brands breaking into the market. In an interview with People Magazine, Gates says “AI is reshaping nearly every industry, but shopping is stuck in the past. Consumers still waste hours comparing prices and hunting for deals, only to still end up overpaying.” According to recent reports, Phia has just surpassed over a million users.
In a recent post on Instagram, the AI-powered shopping platform released the names of the personalities who share their vision, and invested in the company. In what would pass for the cast of a hit movie or a stellar concert lineup, the list includes the likes of Khloe Kardashian, Jessica Alba, Priyanka Chopra-Jonas, Mindy Kaling, the Chainsmokers, Paris Hilton, Olivia Culpo, and more.
The Series A funding run is a follow up to last year's first round of fundraising, which raised USD8 million - with an equally celebrity-driven lineup which includes the likes for former Facebook exec Sheryl Sandberg, and actress / entrepreneur Hailey Bieber. Phia is currently valued at USD185.5 million.
