📝 Phia raises $8M

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Phia, a fashion shopping app founded by Phoebe Gates (Bill Gates’ daughter) and activist Sophia Kianni, has raised $8 million in a seed round led by Kleiner Perkins with buzzy backers including Kris Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Sheryl Sandberg, and Spanx founder Sara Blakely. The app, which Gates and Kianni call “Google Flights for fashion,” lets users compare prices across more than 300 million items via a mobile app and browser extension, and has already attracted 500,000 users since launching in April. The duo initially built a Chrome extension for second-hand comparisons but pivoted after realizing their Gen Z peers primarily shop on mobile and want instant price checks. Their founder-led, social-first approach — including candid content on Instagram and their podcast The Burnouts (which has nearly 500k followers and 10M views) — has fueled rapid traction. With just 12 employees, Phia plans to use the new funding to grow its team and expand features, with Gates hinting at long-term ambitions for personalized shopping agents that can help users decide when to buy, sell, or keep items.

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