Bill​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Gates' daughter Phoebe, has raised $30 million to develop her startup Phia. The money to the startup was raised through a mixture of venture capital funds and high-profile individual investors.

Phia's new round is worth $180 million, which is quite a bit higher than the $8 million that they had raised in their seed round back in September 2025. Phia wants to change the way people shop on the internet by using AI. Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni were the ones who came up with the idea and started the company together.

Among the investors who are supporting this round are Notable Capital (Hans Tung is the CEO), Kleiner Perkins, and Khosla Ventures. These are all well-known and influential venture capital firms.

Phia is also supported by several prominent people such as Hailey Bieber, Kris Jenner, ex-Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg, and the founder of Spanx Sara Blakely. Their participation is an indication of their belief in Phia's inevitable success.

What Makes Investors Excited

Phia’s strategy of combining AI with e-commerce fits perfectly with retail digitalization and personalization trends. The use of AI allows Phia to deliver an online shopping experience that is both user-friendly and time-saving.

This valuation increase from one round to another is a strong indication of the investors' confidence of Phia's business model and their potential for future growth. The involvement of celebrities may bring to the surface the company and give it a larger audience in a shorter period of time.

Impact on the AI + E-commerce Field

Phia’s financing round indicates the continuing interest of investors in the merger between AI and retail. The question that is on these investors' minds is if AI-powered platforms can not only change but also redefine customer journeys – from discovery all the way to purchase, thereby enhancing customers’ experience and satisfaction increasing sales.

Thanks to this capital infusion, Phia is now able to speed up product development, open new locations and eventually grow quicker than they had thought possible.

As for the rest of the industry, it still acts as a signal pointing out that the future of retail lies in AI-based solutions, particularly those who garner a solid investment and have the backing of well-known names in the consumer sector. ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌