Phoebe Gates, daughter of tech giant Bill Gates, is carving out her own space in the fashion technology world. Her startup, Phia, is an AI-driven shopping assistant designed to help users find the best deals on clothing and accessories by scanning millions of listings across popular resale and retail platforms.
What makes Phia stand out is not just its tech — it also uses ChatGPT to fuel creative marketing efforts. Gates and her co-founder Sophia Kianni revealed how they studied viral TikTok videos using AI to understand what makes content popular. This insight helped them craft engaging videos that boosted Phia's visibility rapidly, as reported by Business Insider.
Phia aggregates listings from websites like eBay, Poshmark and The RealReal, offering users instant feedback on whether a price is a good deal with a simple "Should I Buy This?" button. This feature helps shoppers navigate the growing secondhand market with confidence, according to The Verge.
Despite her famous last name, Phoebe insists she built Phia without financial help from her parents. On their podcast, ''The Burnouts,'' she and Kianni shared their focus on sustainability and smart shopping, highlighting their desire to create an app that supports eco-conscious consumers, reported People.
By combining innovative AI tools with savvy social media strategies, Phoebe Gates and her team have positioned Phia as an exciting new player in online retail, especially among young shoppers who care about sustainability and value.
