Bill Gates’ daughter and her Stanford roommate debut Phia, a game-changing tool that finds the best fashion deals with one click — no ads, no hassle, just smarter shopping.
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni Launch ‘Phia’: The AI-Powered Shopping App Making Fashion Smarter, Not Pricier
Bill Gates’ youngest daughter, Phoebe Gates, is stepping confidently into the tech world — but this time, with a stylish twist. Partnering with Sophia Kianni, her longtime friend and Stanford roommate, the 22-year-old has launched Phia, a revolutionary shopping app that blends fashion and artificial intelligence to help consumers shop smarter and spend less.
Officially out of the pre-launch phase as of Thursday, April 24, Phia is now available as a free iOS app, with a Chrome extension also available for desktop users. But this isn’t just another online shopping tool. As Phoebe and Sophia explain, “Phia is like Google Flights for fashion”: an intuitive, AI-powered platform that compares prices across more than 40,000 retail and secondhand sites in seconds, promising the best deals without the ad clutter or endless scrolling.
“Shopping for the things you love shouldn’t be hard, expensive, or a waste of time. That’s why we built Phia — to make finding the best deal effortless,” the co-founders and co-CEOs told PEOPLE exclusively. “Think of it as your personal shopping sidekick, always tagging along on your phone or laptop, making sure you never overpay.”
The app’s standout feature? A “Should I Buy This?” button that gives instant feedback on whether an item’s price is fair, high, or a good deal. If it’s overpriced, Phia immediately surfaces better-priced identical matches or similar alternatives, helping users make confident, cost-effective choices with just one click.
Behind this smart, sleek innovation is a deeper story of friendship, grit, and purpose. Phoebe and Sophia’s bond began at Stanford when they were randomly paired as roommates after both were originally set to live with someone else. Their entrepreneurial journey took off after being rejected from the university’s prestigious Lean Launchpad program — a setback that only pushed them to take another business course together, where they finally hit their stride.
“In that class, we realized the secret to a great startup lies in the intersection of something you love, something you’re good at, something the world needs, and something that can actually make money,” Sophia said. For them, that meant blending a mutual passion for fashion with technology and accessibility.
That vision crystallized into Phia — a name that merges both founders’ names and captures their mission of simplifying and elevating the way we shop.
Beyond the tech, Phoebe also opened up about what it’s like to build something as a Gates, admitting she once struggled with the “nepo baby” label in college. “I had such a desire to prove myself,” she shared, a sentiment that only underscores the drive behind her latest venture.
Today, with Phia, she and Sophia are not just making fashion more affordable — they’re reshaping the way a new generation shops. And they’re doing it with elegance, empathy, and a bold belief in better.
